Table 1
Men’s labor force participation fell when the economy was weaker: Annualized changes in labor force participation rate and average unemployment rate by gender
| Ppt change in labor force participation rate | Average unemployment rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | Men | ||
| 1979–1995 | 0.8 | -0.2 | 6.9% |
| 1995–2000 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 4.6% |
| 2000–2014 | -0.1 | -0.2 | 6.5% |
| 2014–2024 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 4.7% |
| Good times | 0.3 | 0.1 | 4.7% |
| Bad times | 0.4 | -0.2 | 6.8% |
Notes: Ppt refers to percentage point. Data include the civilian noninstitutional population. “Prime age” refers to ages 25 to 54. To avoid double counting, the average unemployment rate represents the average of 1979–1995, 1996–2000, 2001–2014, and 2015–2024.
Source: EPI analysis of the Current Population Survey (CPS) basic monthly microdata, EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2025.6.11, https://microdata.epi.org.
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