Trends in US labor force participation rates for men

The labor force participation rate (LFPR)-the percentage of civilians employed or actively seeking work-has declined since the turn of the century as shown in our first FRED graph above. Previously, total LFPR had risen after an increase in women entering the workforce and a corresponding but smaller drop in men's LFPR. Since 1990, women's LFPR has stabilized but men's LFPR has continued to decline at an average rate of 2.7 percentage points per decade.

Our second FRED graph above splits male workers into three age groups-15 to 24 (high school and college age); 25 to 54 (prime working age); and 55 to 64 (near-retirement). The rate for older men (orange line) has been relatively constant, but the rate for prime-age men (green line) has steadily decreased. The decline for younger men (blue line) is even more pronounced, which may be explained by more young men opting for more education.

The drop in the LFPR for prime-age men was studied by Leila Bengali, Evgeniya Duzhak, and Cindy Zhao at the San Francisco Fed. They state that the gap in participation between prime-age male Millennials today and male Baby Boomers (when they were of prime working age) can be explained by higher incidence of postsecondary education attainment, self-reported disabilities or illnesses, and caretaking responsibilities. They also summarize other economic research that attributes this decline to changing industry structure, falling demand for jobs that prime-age men have traditionally held, and the opioid crisis.

How these graphs were created: Search FRED for and select "Labor Force Participation Rate." Below the graph, click on the release table link, select the series, and click "Add to Graph." Use the "Format" tab to customize line style and color. Take a similar approach for the second graph after searching for "Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Labor Force Participation Rate Male: From 15 to 24 Years for United States."

Note: Labor force participation rates by age group in FRED are sourced from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The labor force participation rate data in the first graph is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There may be slight differences in LFPR values between the two agencies.

Suggested by Brooke Hathhorn and Michael Owyang.