The U.S. labor force participation rate ticked up last month, but numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels. The participation rate for March is now at 62.6 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics (BLS), on April 7. At the same time, the employment to population ratio edged up over the past month to 60.4…

Commentary A policy question these days that has befuddled federal lawmakers is why so many millions of people have not returned to the workplace in the post-COVID-19 era. The labor force participation rate among employable adults is near a record low today. There are at least 2 million to 4 million employable adults who could…

Commentary Women were notably victimized by lockdowns, masking, and vaccine mandates. The lockdowns yanked many working women with children out of the workforce, closed child care and schooling, and forced them back into the home. Millions were hit by this fate, and many are still not back at work. Labor force participation by working-age women…

While the newly released employment report beat forecasts in terms of sheer job creation numbers, and prompted a victory lap by President Joe Biden, some experts say it’s a “mixed bag,” with the unemployment rate rising and prime working age employment falling, and others saying the Federal Reserve is likely to find much of the…

Commentary As predicted, the Biden administration has spent the better part of the week explaining that tomorrow’s GDP report on the 2nd quarter, even if it is negative, does not mean we are in a recession. In his ham-handed way, Biden made it very plain: “We’re not going to be in a recession.” These days,…

Commentary A small business owner with whom I was speaking raised an odd point. He has many jobs open right now and advertises them. Many people apply and he clicks through on the online portal to offer interviews. Then something odd happens. He never hears from them. Maybe they took some other position. That’s what…