http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/explaining-the-labor-force-dropouts/
Displayed by the graphs shown on the website, the approximate unemployment rate is currently around 7%. Since 2009, the unemployment rate has steadily been decreasing. However, the labor force participation rate has also been decreasing quite rapidly over the last few years. Economists are worried especially because this shift is not only a result of the aging population. In fact, that has very little to do with the "great shift". Other contributing factors to this shift include the increasing amount of people on disability and the "skills gap" between the working generation and the younger generation.
In accordance with our most recent topic discussed in class, I believe that economic security possibly plays a role in the reasoning for these statistics and trends. Mentioned during discussion, someone had said that people are increasingly becoming too comfortable with the amount of security that our government offers; types of this security include welfare and disability programs. These programs give aid to people who need it and who "qualify" for it. Are the qualifications steadily becoming too "loose"? Or are people beginning to abuse the security given to them? And if this is the case, is it going to continue negatively affecting the labor force participation rate and the unemployment rate before something is done?
