The population is growing and there’s always the possibility that something is happening along the routes you drive in your area that isn’t translating elsewhere.
Nonetheless, the labor participation rate has gone steadily downhill under Obama. This past month is the lowest it has been since 1979. (see chart below)
63.7% means that 36.3% of the labor age population is not working. The population in 1979 was 225 million. It is about 310 million today.
The U6 (total unemployed) in California is 21.1, the second highest in the nation.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 62.8 | 62.7 | 62.8 | 63.0 | 63.1 | 63.3 | 63.2 | 63.2 | 63.3 | 63.3 | 63.5 | 63.6 | ||
| 1979 | 63.6 | 63.8 | 63.8 | 63.5 | 63.3 | 63.5 | 63.6 | 63.6 | 63.8 | 63.7 | 63.7 | 63.9 | ||
| 1980 | 64.0 | 64.0 | 63.7 | 63.8 | 63.9 | 63.7 | 63.8 | 63.7 | 63.6 | 63.7 | 63.8 | 63.6 | ||
| 1981 | 63.9 | 63.9 | 64.1 | 64.2 | 64.3 | 63.7 | 63.8 | 63.8 | 63.5 | 63.8 | 63.9 | 63.6 | ||
| 1982 | 63.7 | 63.8 | 63.8 | 63.9 | 64.2 | 63.9 | 64.0 | 64.1 | 64.1 | 64.1 | 64.2 | 64.1 | ||
| 1983 | 63.9 | 63.8 | 63.7 | 63.8 | 63.7 | 64.3 | 64.1 | 64.3 | 64.3 | 64.0 | 64.1 | 64.1 | ||
| 1984 | 63.9 | 64.1 | 64.1 | 64.3 | 64.5 | 64.6 | 64.6 | 64.4 | 64.4 | 64.4 | 64.5 | 64.6 | ||
| 1985 | 64.7 | 64.7 | 64.9 | 64.9 | 64.8 | 64.6 | 64.7 | 64.6 | 64.9 | 65.0 | 64.9 | 65.0 | ||
| 1986 | 64.9 | 65.0 | 65.1 | 65.1 | 65.2 | 65.4 | 65.4 | 65.3 | 65.4 | 65.4 | 65.4 | 65.3 | ||
| 1987 | 65.4 | 65.5 | 65.5 | 65.4 | 65.7 | 65.5 | 65.6 | 65.7 | 65.5 | 65.7 | 65.7 | 65.7 | ||
| 1988 | 65.8 | 65.9 | 65.7 | 65.8 | 65.7 | 65.8 | 65.9 | 66.1 | 65.9 | 66.0 | 66.2 | 66.1 | ||
| 1989 | 66.5 | 66.3 | 66.3 | 66.4 | 66.3 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.4 | 66.5 | 66.6 | 66.5 | ||
| 1990 | 66.8 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.4 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.4 | ||
| 1991 | 66.2 | 66.2 | 66.3 | 66.4 | 66.2 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.0 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.0 | ||
| 1992 | 66.3 | 66.2 | 66.4 | 66.5 | 66.6 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.6 | 66.5 | 66.2 | 66.3 | 66.3 | ||
| 1993 | 66.2 | 66.2 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.4 | 66.5 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.2 | 66.3 | 66.3 | 66.4 | ||
| 1994 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.6 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.7 | ||
| 1995 | 66.8 | 66.8 | 66.7 | 66.9 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.5 | 66.4 | ||
| 1996 | 66.4 | 66.6 | 66.6 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.9 | 66.7 | 66.9 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.0 | ||
| 1997 | 67.0 | 66.9 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.2 | 67.2 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.2 | 67.2 | ||
| 1998 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.2 | 67.2 | 67.1 | 67.2 | ||
| 1999 | 67.2 | 67.2 | 67.0 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.0 | 67.1 | 67.1 | ||
| 2000 | 67.3 | 67.3 | 67.3 | 67.3 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 66.9 | 66.9 | 66.9 | 66.8 | 66.9 | 67.0 | ||
| 2001 | 67.2 | 67.1 | 67.2 | 66.9 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.8 | 66.5 | 66.8 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.7 | ||
| 2002 | 66.5 | 66.8 | 66.6 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 66.6 | 66.5 | 66.6 | 66.7 | 66.6 | 66.4 | 66.3 | ||
| 2003 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.3 | 66.4 | 66.4 | 66.5 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 65.9 | ||
| 2004 | 66.1 | 66.0 | 66.0 | 65.9 | 66.0 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.0 | 65.8 | 65.9 | 66.0 | 65.9 | ||
| 2005 | 65.8 | 65.9 | 65.9 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.0 | 66.0 | ||
| 2006 | 66.0 | 66.1 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.2 | 66.1 | 66.2 | 66.3 | 66.4 | ||
| 2007 | 66.4 | 66.3 | 66.2 | 65.9 | 66.0 | 66.0 | 66.0 | 65.8 | 66.0 | 65.8 | 66.0 | 66.0 | ||
| 2008 | 66.2 | 66.0 | 66.1 | 65.9 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 | 65.9 | 66.0 | 65.8 | 65.8 | ||
| 2009 | 65.7 | 65.8 | 65.6 | 65.6 | 65.7 | 65.7 | 65.5 | 65.4 | 65.1 | 65.0 | 65.0 | 64.6 | ||
| 2010 | 64.8 | 64.9 | 64.9 | 65.1 | 64.9 | 64.6 | 64.6 | 64.7 | 64.6 | 64.4 | 64.5 | 64.3 | ||
| 2011 | 64.2 | 64.2 | 64.2 | 64.2 | 64.2 | 64.1 | 64.0 | 64.1 | 64.1 | 64.1 | 64.0 | 64.0 | ||
| 2012 | 63.7 |