Joblessness rates among those most fit to work have reached their highest levels in more than 20 years, according to a Washington Post analysis that examined the employment rates among those between the ages of 25 and 54.
The paper reports that "by this measure, the jobs situation has improved little in recent years," casting doubt on President Obama’s claims to have fixed the country’s economy.
The Post reports:
The percentage of workers between the ages of 25 and 54 who have jobs now stands at 75.7 percent, just a percentage point over what it was at the downturn’s worst, according to federal statistics.
Before the recession the proportion hovered at 80 percent.
While the unemployment rate may be the most closely watched gauge of the economy in the presidential campaign, this measure of prime-age workers captures more of the ongoing turbulence in the job market. It reflects "missing workers" who have stopped looking for work and aren’t included in the unemployment rate.