Labor Force Participation Rate Falls To Lowest Since Pandemic As Over 250K Leave Workforce

August 07, 2026 11:44 AM ET The U.S. labor force participation rate fell to 61.4 percent in July, its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, as 264,000 people left the labor force last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The labor participation rate is down from this year’s January high of 62.1

Prices have barely moved over the last four years and the typical home is worth only 2% more than it was in the summer of 2022.