https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2013/01/14/the-illusory-jobs-recovery/feed/HotAir is the leading conservative blog for breaking news and commentary covering the Biden administration, politics, media, culture, and current elections.en-usTue, 09 Jun 2026 09:09:57 -0400<![CDATA[The unemployment rate has fallen in recent years largely because so many people have left the labor force. The labor force participation rate (the percentage of the population considered to be part of the labor force) was 63.6% in December 2012, unchanged from November and down 0.4 points from December 2011. This decline is responsible for about six-sevenths of the decline in the unemployment rate in 2012, or 0.6 points off the 8.5% rate the country faced in December 2011. Only one-seventh of the decline can be explained by actual growth in employment. Without this drop in labor force participation over 2012, the unemployment rate would be 8.4%.]]>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:20:23 -0500<![CDATA[Allahpundit]]>https://hotair.com/headlines/2013/01/14/the-illusory-jobs-recovery-n280786