The US labor force participation rate increased
between 1948 until the late 1990s.
There has been fairly consistent decrease in the
US labor participation rate since 2009
The rate in the US is now about 62%
The rate in China is now about 70%
The participation rate of prime-age men --
those 25 to 54 years old --
has steadily decreased in the last half century.
As of January, 89 percent of prime-age men were in the labor force,
down from around 97 percent following World War II,
This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Participants includes people who are working,
or are unemployed and actively looking for a job.
From Bloomberg.com 2/23/1028