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Labor Force Participation Rate Falls To Lowest Level Since 1979

Matthew BoeslerApr 5, 2013, 18:04 IST

Today's nonfarm payrolls number was well below expectations. It came in at 88,000 versus the 190,000 predicted by market economists.

Yet the unemployment rate still ticked down to 7.6 percent from 7.7 percent last month.

The explanation: the labor force participation rate fell to 63.3 percent, its lowest level since 1979.

The chart below shows the decline.

Business Insider/Matthew Boesler, data from St. Louis Fed