Tim Slack and colleagues publish article on labor force nonparticipation
Tim Slack, professor of sociology at Louisiana State University, recently published an article with colleagues titled “Labor Force Nonparticipation in Rural and Urban America: An Examination of Prime-Working-Age Men and Women, 2000–2024” in Rural Sociology. Labor force participation is pivotal for the economic health of individuals, families, communities, and the nation. Conversely, labor force nonparticipation represents a major challenge to economic vitality. The study utilized data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement and found that working-age men, the probability of not being in the labor force is consistently higher in rural areas and the gap is growing, and that for working-age women, the gap was relatively small until the end of the study period. Researchers also found that education and health status were key predictors of labor force participation.