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Only 45% of Americans Are Working — Lowest Since 1983! Meredith Jessup

The share of Americans working fell to its lowest level in 2010 since women started entering the workforce in big numbers three decades ago, USA Today reports:

Only 45.4% of Americans had jobs in 2010, the lowest rate since 1983 and down from a peak of 49.3% in 2000. Last year, just 66.8% of men had jobs, the lowest on record.

The bad economy, an aging population and a plateau in women working are contributing to changes that pose serious challenges for financing the nation’s social programs.

“What’s wrong with the economy may be speeding up trends that are already happening,” says Marc Goldwein, policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-partisan group favoring smaller deficits.

Another key finding is the decline of men in the workplace as the number of construction and manufacturing jobs continues to fall.

All in all, these are troubling trends for the country as more and more people are depending on support from a shrinking population of those who work.