As of December, 61.9 percent of Americans over age 16 were participating in the labor force, either by being employed or by looking for a job. This is still below the rate in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States, although participation rose slightly in the last few months of 2021.
Source: “Labor Force Participation Rate,” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Jan. 7, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/4twyputp
Data for the graphic are as follows:
| Date | Percentage of Participation |
| January 2018 | 62.7% |
| February 2018 | 63.0% |
| March 2018 | 62.9% |
| April 2018 | 62.9% |
| May 2018 | 62.9% |
| June 2018 | 62.9% |
| July 2018 | 62.9% |
| August 2018 | 62.7% |
| September 2018 | 62.7% |
| October 2018 | 62.9% |
| November 2018 | 62.9% |
| December 2018 | 63.0% |
| January 2019 | 63.1% |
| February 2019 | 63.1% |
| March 2019 | 63.1% |
| April 2019 | 62.9% |
| May 2019 | 62.9% |
| June 2019 | 62.9% |
| July 2019 | 63.1% |
| August 2019 | 63.1% |
| September 2019 | 63.2% |
| October 2019 | 63.2% |
| November 2019 | 63.2% |
| December 2019 | 63.3% |
| January 2020 | 63.4% |
| February 2020 | 63.4% |
| March 2020 | 62.7% |
| April 2020 | 60.2% |
| May 2020 | 60.8% |
| June 2020 | 61.4% |
| July 2020 | 61.5% |
| August 2020 | 61.7% |
| September 2020 | 61.4% |
| October 2020 | 61.6% |
| November 2020 | 61.5% |
| December 2020 | 61.5% |
| January 2021 | 61.4% |
| February 2021 | 61.5% |
| March 2021 | 61.5% |
| April 2021 | 61.7% |
| May 2021 | 61.6% |
| June 2021 | 61.6% |
| July 2021 | 61.7% |
| August 2021 | 61.7% |
| September 2021 | 61.7% |
| October 2021 | 61.7% |
| November 2021 | 61.9% |
| December 2021 | 61.9% |