YCHART OF THE DAY: Rising Public Debt and Less of the Population Working to Repay It

by YCharts Staff February 08, 2012

US Labor Force Participation Rate Chart by YCharts

Yikes. The per-capita public debt figure has been rising steadily. But if it was instead the employed-per-capita debt figure – as implied by the declining percentage of people who’re working -- well, it would be enough to make those with jobs want to throw up. Funding Social Security and Medicare and paying for new jet fighters would be a lot easier if there were more jobs and if would-be workers had the skills to fill those positions. Tall order.