The Labor Force Participation Rate measures the percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking employment. It is a critical metric for understanding the size of the active workforce and the impact of demographic shifts. A rising participation rate can signal economic optimism as discouraged workers return to the labor market. It helps contextualize changes in the headline unemployment rate.
The rate is calculated by dividing the number of people in the labor force (employed and unemployed) by the total civilian non-institutional population aged 16 and older.
| Date | Actual | Forecast | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2026 | 70.70 | 70.30 | +0.40 |
| May 5, 2026 | 70.40 | 70.50 | -0.10 |
| Feb 3, 2026 | 70.50 | 70.30 | +0.20 |
| Nov 4, 2025 | 70.30 | 70.70 | -0.40 |
| Aug 5, 2025 | 70.50 | 70.70 | -0.20 |
| May 6, 2025 | 70.80 | 71.00 | -0.20 |
| Feb 4, 2025 | 71.00 | 71.10 | -0.10 |
| Nov 5, 2024 | 71.20 | 71.50 | -0.30 |
| Aug 6, 2024 | 71.70 | 71.30 | +0.40 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 71.50 | 71.90 | -0.40 |
| Feb 6, 2024 | 71.90 | 72.00 | -0.10 |
| Oct 31, 2023 | 72.00 | 72.50 | -0.50 |
| Aug 1, 2023 | 72.40 | 72.00 | +0.40 |
| May 2, 2023 | 72.00 | 71.70 | +0.30 |
| Jan 31, 2023 | 71.70 | 71.70 | 0.00 |
| Nov 1, 2022 | 71.70 | 71.00 | +0.70 |
| Aug 2, 2022 | 70.80 | 71.00 | -0.20 |
| May 3, 2022 | 70.90 | 71.10 | -0.20 |
| Feb 1, 2022 | 71.10 | 71.20 | -0.10 |
| Nov 2, 2021 | 71.20 | 70.60 | +0.60 |
