Labor Sec’y Walsh: ‘Not Too Concerned’ about Labor Force Participation Drop, ‘I Feel Good’ ‘as Far as People Going Back to Work’

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Jose Diaz-Balart Reports,” Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said that while there was a decline in the labor force participation rate, “it was high last month. So, I’m not too concerned about that” and that he feels “good [about] where the economy’s headed, as far as people going back to work.”

Walsh said, “I mean, this report says a couple of things: One, it shows us, in kind of a specific way, the hospital industry is fully recovered since pre-pandemic levels. Manufacturing goes beyond pandemic levels — pre-pandemic levels. If you look at the racial breakdown of the racial unemployment numbers, we’ve seen just a tick down — a drop in different categories. And the Latino unemployment rate, 3.8% is the lowest recorded [in] history. So, we’re seeing, as people come back to work, it’s equitable, meaning that people are coming back to work. Now, it also shows that we have more work to do. The participation rate dropped a little bit, but it was high last month. So, I’m not too concerned about that when you look at the long-term impacts of what these reports will be. So, I feel good [about] where the economy’s headed, as far as people going back to work.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett