The U.S. labor‑force participation rate for people aged 25 to 54 dropped 0.6 percentage points in June, marking the second largest monthly decline since records began in the 1940s. The rate, which measures the share of the working‑age population that is either employed or actively seeking work, fell to 83.3%, the lowest level since December 2023. For the seventh consecutive month, the overall participation rate fell to 61.5%, the lowest since February 2021. The decline mirrors historic lows seen in January 1968, March 1960, May 1953, October 1952, and June 1951, and is the largest drop since the COVID‑19 pandemic shutdown in April 2020.
These figures suggest that the U.S. labor market is weakening at a deeper level.