# Help me understand this statistic (labor force participation)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-this-statistic-labor-force-participation/1006033>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 22, 2024, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-this-statistic-labor-force-participation/1006033 "2024-08-22T06:35:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Danger\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-this-statistic-labor-force-participation/1006033/1 "2024-08-22T06:35:55Z")

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> **[Labor Force Participation Rate - Countries - List | World](https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/labor-force-participation-rate?continent=world)**
>
> The labour force participation rates is the number of persons who are employed and unemployed but looking for a job divided by the total working-age population. This page provides values for Labor Force Participation Rate reported in several...

Besides actual unemployment, I suppose some of the difference is because of how much women participate in the workforce

But what is is special about Slovakia? Why is it so high?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-this-statistic-labor-force-participation/1006033/2 "2024-08-22T15:21:38Z")

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Looks like they have a hard working, well educated, industrious culture there:

> [@https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#Economy](#):
>
> Slovakia has a [high-income](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-income_country) [developed economy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developed_economies). In 2024, with a population of only 5 million, it ranked as the [46th richest country](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita) with a [per capita gross domestic product](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capita_GDP) based on [purchasing power parity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity) of $44,081,[[103]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#cite_note-103) and the [61st largest economy in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)) with a GDP of $132.122 billion.[[104]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#cite_note-104) Its GDP per capita equalling 69% of the average of the European Union in 2021.[[105]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#cite_note-rich-105) The country has difficulties addressing regional imbalances in wealth and employment.[[106]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#cite_note-106) GDP per capita ranges from 188% of EU average in Bratislava to 54% in Eastern Slovakia.[[107]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#cite_note-107) Bratislava is the 19th-richest region of the [European Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union) by GDP ([PPP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity)) per capita.[[108]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia#cite_note-108) Although regional income inequality is high, [90% of citizens own their homes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_home_ownership_rate).