During the 70s, 80s and 90s, the labor force participation rate consistently rose as large numbers of women entered the workforce.  It peaked at 67.3 percent in early 2000, and just before the last recession it was sitting at about 66 percent.  Since the start of the last recession, the labor force participation rate has not stopped falling and it is now at a 35 year low.  In September, 11,255,000 Americans were considered to be "unemployed", and an astounding 90,609,000 Americans were considered to be "not in the labor force".  The number of Americans "not in the labor force" has increased by more than 10 million since Barack Obama entered the White House.