Royal Bank Economist Nathan Janzen and Participation Rate

participation rate: The participation rate, a little reported number that tracks Canadians with jobs and those looking for jobs as a percentage of the working-age population, dipped to 66.1 per cent in the latest employment data for April, down from 66.5 per cent from a year ago and from 67.8 in February 2008. The working age population is considered anyone older than 15 years, with no upper limit, according to The Telegram. But that would be wrong and In a fresh analysis on employment, Royal Bank economist Nathan Janzen notes that the steady decline in the so-called participation rate continues even as the unemployment rate drops. It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that the steady decline means tens of thousands of Canadians are becoming too discouraged to look for work and are just dropping out of the work force altogether, says Janzen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.