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labor force
The country has seen a dramatic shift away from jobs requiring physical strength. Fewer than 1 in 10 jobs now require what's called heavy work, a sector once dominated by men. Jung Getty/Getty Images hide caption
Instead of going back to a corporate job, Farida Mercedes started her own business. It pays less, but she has more flexibility to spend time with her sons Sebastian (left) and Lucas, ages 7 and 9. Farida Mercedes hide caption
Women are returning to (paid) work after the pandemic forced many to leave their jobs
Farida Mercedes and her two sons Sebastian, 5, (left) and Lucas, 7, stand in their backyard in Fairlawn, N.J. Mercedes left her job as an assistant VP of HR at L'Oreal in August after working there for 17 years. As hundreds of thousands of women dropped out of the workforce in September, Latinas led the way, leaving at nearly three times the rate of white women. Erica Seryhm Lee for NPR hide caption
'My Family Needs Me': Latinas Drop Out Of Workforce At Alarming Rates
The long economic recovery has brought unemployment to historic lows. But the number of men in the labor force during their prime working age has dropped significantly over the past 50 years. Jetta Productions Inc./Getty Images hide caption
In this photo, women fill out job applications at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption
Gaby Gemetti decided to leave the workforce after having her second child. In March she started a "returnship," a new type of program to recruit and retrain women like her who are looking to resume their careers. Here, Gaby and John Gemetti are seen with their children, Carlo and Gianna. Courtesy of Shannon Wight Photography hide caption
Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men
Betty Fernandez of Macy's department store speaks with a potential applicant about job openings during a job fair in Miami on April 5. Employers added far more jobs than expected in April — another sign the U.S. economy is chugging along as the expansion nears the 10-year mark. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
Unemployment Drops To 3.6%, 263,000 Jobs Added, Showing Economy Remains Strong
An arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen, also known as Percocet, in New York. A new report finds a link between workforce participation and the prescription rate of opioids in the U.S. Patrick Sison/AP hide caption
An employee moves cement blocks at the Cement Products Manufacturing Co. facility in Redmond, Ore. Millions of men in their prime working years have dropped out of the labor force since the 1960s. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Aetna announced one of its largest pay hikes recently. CEO Mark Bertolini says he believes it largely could pay for itself by making workers more productive. Courtesy of Aetna hide caption
Health Insurer Aetna Raises Wages For Lowest-Paid Workers To $16 An Hour
McDonald's announced this week that it will pay workers in its company-owned stores $1 more per hour than the local minimum wage. Wal-Mart, Target and the parent company of Marshalls and TJ Maxx have also promised to boost wages for their lowest-paid workers this year. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/Landov hide caption
It was a great time to be an American man in the workplace after World War II. Hiring was strong for both white-collar jobs and factory work while industries like autos, aviation and steel were booming. By the 1960s, that started to change. Three Lions/Getty Images hide caption
Participation in the workforce has dropped significantly since 2007, and economists say more than half of the dropouts may never return. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption