Labor force participation among young adults has recovered to pre-pandemic levels: Labor force participation rate among adults age 16+ and among young adults ages 16–24, 2000–2022
| Year | Age 16+ | Ages 16–24 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 67.1% | 65.8% |
| 2001 | 66.8% | 64.5% |
| 2002 | 66.6% | 63.3% |
| 2003 | 66.2% | 61.6% |
| 2004 | 66.0% | 61.1% |
| 2005 | 66.0% | 60.8% |
| 2006 | 66.2% | 60.6% |
| 2007 | 66.0% | 59.4% |
| 2008 | 66.0% | 58.8% |
| 2009 | 65.4% | 56.9% |
| 2010 | 64.7% | 55.2% |
| 2011 | 64.1% | 55.0% |
| 2012 | 63.7% | 54.9% |
| 2013 | 63.2% | 55.0% |
| 2014 | 62.9% | 55.0% |
| 2015 | 62.7% | 55.0% |
| 2016 | 62.8% | 55.2% |
| 2017 | 62.9% | 55.5% |
| 2018 | 62.9% | 55.2% |
| 2019 | 63.1% | 55.9% |
| 2020 | 61.7% | 53.9% |
| 2021 | 61.7% | 55.5% |
| 2022 | 62.2% | 55.6% |
Notes: Labor force participants are employed workers and unemployed workers who are actively seeking work. The labor force participation rate for a given age group is the number of labor force participants divided by the total number of people in that age group.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey microdata.