Figure A
When unemployment is 4.4 percent, the prime-age employment-to-population ratio is historically much higher: Average prime-age employment-to-population ratio when the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in last two business cycles
| Year | Average prime-age EPOP during months that unemployment rate was 4.4 |
|---|---|
| 1998/1999 | 81.2 |
| 2006/2007 | 80.1 |
| 2017 | 78.6 |
Note: The unemployment rate hit 4.4% in "1998/1999" (May 1998, November 1998, December 1998, February of 1999, and April 2001), "2006/2007" (October 2006, December 2006, March 2007, and May 2007), and "2017" (April 2017). The vertical axis is scaled to the minimum and maximum values (74.8 and 81.9) of the prime-age (25-54) employment-to-population ratio over the last two decades.
Source: EPI analysis of BLS Current Population Survey public data series.
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