California's labor force participation rate has historically reached nearly 70 percent.
Posted by On with Kara Swisher, Checked
- Sources
- 1 support4 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
The only source giving a California peak is PPIC, which says participation peaked at roughly 68 percent in 1989 (and cites a high of 68 percent in 1990). That is reasonably described as 'nearly 70 percent,' and no source contradicts it, though no source states 70 and PPIC is an unrated single source.
What was said
… companies and huge revenue that they bring in, and the highest unemployment rate in the country, and also, to use a really nerdy term, uhm, the labor force participation rate is pretty historically low in California. It's about 62 point something percent. At its peak in California, it's been nearly 70%. So you take those two together, the highest unemployment rate, low labor force participation, is probably about four or 5 million Californians of working age who are not working, and I think the gap is in these manufacturing, blue collar type jobs, and so I …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. PPIC reports that California labor force participation peaked in 1989 at roughly 68 percent and cites a high of 68 percent in 1990, which fits 'nearly 70 percent' within rounding.[3]
Context. The national BLS series peaked at 67.3 percent in early 2000, and a 2015 PolitiFact review confirms US participation was higher in the late 1990s than in 1948–1978. These figures concern the US, not California.[1][2]
Context. Recent California data is well below the historical peak, at about 61.4 to 61.9 percent in 2026, so the claim describes the past rather than the present.[4][5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 3 not rated
- 1Lindsey Graham has it wrong on ‘Meet the Press’: Labor participation rate is not at an all-time lowpolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Labor force participation: what has happened since the ...bls.gov · primary source · cited for: context
- 3Labor Force Participation in Californiappic.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Labor Force Participation Rate for California (LBSNSA06)fred.stlouisfed.org · not rated · cited for: context
- 5Labor Force Participation Rate for California - ALFRED | St. Louis Fedalfred.stlouisfed.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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