Labor Force Participation Rate tells you how many people in the country are working. It is a good number to watch because it takes into account population growth.
In a normal healthy economy the rate bounces along near 70%. Since 9/11 the rate has hovered around 66 to 66.2.
The drop in the rate has been gradual, but steady under the Obama Administration. The 5 million jobs created that the President crows about averages to about 167,000 jobs a month, which is not keeping up with population growth. We need closer to 180,000 a month to tread water.
Thinking about the millions unemployed we would need about 250,000 more jobs a month to get everyone back to work in 4 years. Over 400,000 a month is a far cry from what we have seen.
Obama may be a nice guy, but his job creation efforts have failed because he has put no real effort into it. He talks a good line, but his actions, or lack of, speak louder to people who listen.
He has not met with Congressional leaders from either party since July to discuss his proposed jobs bills. Why? His campaign ads say Congress has not passed them, yet he has made no effort to talk with Congress. This is not a rubber stamp banana republic where he can make demands. The founding fathers built our system to force cooperation. He has to work for it if he wants it.
His blue ribbon jobs committe chaired by GEs CEO Jeff Imelt has not met since March 2012. Why? Could it be it brings to light GEs offshoring of over 20,000 US jobs since Imelt took over GE?
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS11300000 
