Unemployment is down, but a smaller share of the population is actually working
As it turned out, the U.S. economy began to recover that summer, although growth has been modest at best and the middle class hasn’t seen much benefit. The unemployment rate, which peaked at 10% in October 2009, stood at 5% last month, its lowest level in nearly eight years. However, millions of Americans have left the labor force entirely, due to retirement, disability, despair at finding work or other reasons. The employment-to-population ratio, which was 60.6% in January 2009, bottomed out at 58.2% in the summer of 2011, and had recovered only to 59.5% by last month.
Unemployment is down  | Unemployment rate  | 12%  | 10  | 8  | Dec. 15  | 6  | 5.0  | 2  | 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015  | actually but a smaller working share of the population  | is actually working  | Employment to population ratio  | 61%  | Dec. 15  | 60  | 59.5  | 59  | 58  | 57  | 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015  | Note: All figures seasonally adjusted.  | Source: Bureau of Labor Sta tistics  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 