[alexwhb]

I believe the technical economic term is “discouraged workers”. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

This is a useful resource on aspects not included in the unemployment metric: https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0609/what-the-un....

[xnx]

Ah, thank you. Found some useful links here: https://www.bls.gov/cps/lfcharacteristics.htm#discouraged

Seems like this measure of discouraged workers is down over the past 10 years: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS15026645

[alexwhb]

I now remember what metric I was thinking of… participation rate. There was a charter data storytelling post about it a while ago that I’m not able to find. But apparently participation rate on the workforce are down. I don’t remember what time scale. But I believe that metric includes discouraged workers as well as people who have retired. But I believe the angle the article I read was talking was a post pandemic look… like lots of people retired early. I believe this has those numbers.. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t01.htm

Here’s a chart: https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-lab...

I think this metric, like unemployment, is obviously nuanced and also could be showing an aging demographic and other such subtleties.

[xnx]

Thanks for sharing. The major disruption to the labor market caused by covid (and other long term trends) defies simple characterization. Weird times.

[alexwhb]

Absolutely! Happy to share, and totally agree. Very strange times.