It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Saturday, September 02, 2023
The Canadian Press
Thu, August 31, 2023
GOLD BRIDGE, B.C. — About 160 firefighters battling a blaze in British Columbia's Interior have pulled out of their camp after they were subjected to what the BC Wildfire Service calls "persistent bear activity."
The service says the bears threatened the safety of personnel "within and around" the camp near Gold Bridge, about 100 kilometres west of Lillooet, B.C., prompting the decision to move everyone Wednesday evening.
Nic Kokolski, an information officer with the service, says the animals had been moving around tents and other camp infrastructure.
Kokolski says no one has been injured and no animals have been harmed, but conservation authorities felt it would be safest if the firefighters left the area.
A social media post by the wildfire service says its personnel are being hosted at T'it'q'et First Nation and Lillooet municipal facilities for the time being.
It says conservation officers have been "assessing and advising" on plans to safely return crews as they battle the Downton Lake wildfire.
Scavenging bears have been a problem in other B.C. wildfire zones, with authorities in the Shuswap region in the Interior collecting refuse and refrigerators in hopes of keeping the animals at bay.
The Downton Lake fire has scorched 95 square kilometres of land and prompted evacuation orders and alerts.
The wildfire service says the fire's activity remains low after rain fell in the area.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2023.
The Canadian Press
'It's A Simple Yes Or No': Naga Munchetty Skewers Tory Minister Over Crumbling Schools
Kevin Schofield
Fri, 1 September 2023
Naga Munchetty grilled Nick Gibb on BBC Breakfast
A Tory minister was skewered by Naga Munchetty as he struggled to defend the government over the closure of unsafe schools just days before the end of the summer holidays.
More than 100 will have either partially or completely shut their doors to pupils because the concrete used to build them - known as RAAC - is at risk of collapse.
Schools minister Nick Gibb this morning admitted that some of the affected schools have yet to be contacted by the government, and that it is still not known how many will have to close completely.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Gibb was grilled on the government’s response to the crisis, which will see thousands of pupils forced to learn from home when the new term starts next week.
The minister insisted the government had been “very proactive in assessing the school estate” and had taken action as soon as the extent of the problem became apparent.
He said RACC was used between the 1950s and 1990s, and that surveys were sent to every school in England in 2022 asking whether it was present in their buildings.
But Munchetty told him: “I’m sorry, please let me interrupt. You’ve given me the history of RACC and the dangers known.
“In 2018 when there was a national audit report saying that it was in 572 schools, why did it take until 2022 until surveys were sent to schools?”
Gibb said “warning notices” had been sent to all schools after that report, but that further evidence had emerged since then about the dangers posed by the crumbling concrete.
He added: “You seem to be criticising us for being more proactive than other governments around the world.”
The minister said that prior to yesterday, the government had already taken action in 52 schools where RACC was identified.
Munchetty said: “Is it fair to say that they were unsafe up until that point - that children were attending schools with buildings unsafe?”
Gibb replied: “This evidence was emerging over time ...”
The presenter then interrupted to say: “It’s a simple yes or no, isn’t it? They were either safe or unsafe.”
The minister said: “Well we felt, having had that evidence, that parts of the school that had RACC that was in a criticial condition were not safe.”
“So they could have potentially collapsed?” Munchetty replied.
Gibb said: “Yes and that’s why we took action.”
Labour has accused the government of “staggering incompetence” in not taking action until just before schools return from the summer break.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Ministers have been content to let this chaos continue for far too long.”
Mike Short, head of education at the UNISON union, said the situation was “nothing short of a scandal”.
Teachers clear out classrooms after 104 schools in England told to shut
Parents told ‘don’t worry’ as school buildings with concrete prone to collapse ordered to shut immediately
Schools in England must immediately shut buildings made with a type of concrete that is prone to collapse, the government has announced.
Extra measures are set to be put in place, with some schools having to relocate children to other teaching spaces.
However Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has told parents ‘don’t worry’ over the closures.
She saidmost parents need not be worried at all – there are more than 20,000 schools in England, and just over 150 have RAAC present.
She said: ‘We are working to minimise this a much as possible. The priority for me is your children’s safety and that’s why we are taking these precautionary measures.’
Keegan says engineers have been combing school sites looking for RAAC and over the summer, ‘a couple of cases have given us cause for concern’.
She added: ‘We need to take the cautious approach.’
A ‘minority’ of the state facilities will need to ‘either fully or partially relocate’ to alternative accommodation while safety measures are installed, the Department for Education (DfE) said.
The department has contacted 104 settings that do not currently have mitigations in place to vacate spaces containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
Unions and opposition parties criticised the Government for failing to take action sooner, as schools were being shuttered ahead of the return from the summer break.
Some 52 of the 156 educational settings containing the concrete have taken protective steps already this year.
Two schools in Bradford have already been partially closed on the eve of the new term after surveys found weak concrete in the buildings.
Pupils at Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School will be moved to ‘safe’ areas, after the problem came to light.
Bradford Council said temporary classrooms would be set up in the coming weeks and months.
The council has carried out detailed surveys at 45 schools to determine whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was used in their construction.
The lightweight material was used to construct many civic buildings from the 1950s to the 1990s, before being found to deteriorate over time.
It has an estimated lifespan of around 30 years.
Sue Lowndes, Bradford Council’s assistant director schools and learning, said: ‘We are putting plans in place for those two schools to make sure no one is put at risk and also to minimise any disruption to children’s education.
‘We know how important it is to make sure children can continue at school. Headteachers at the affected schools are working with parents and staff so we can keep them informed of the changes that are being put in place.’
Earlier this week a private prep school was fined £80,000 after a classroom ceiling collapsed on top of a group of seven and eight-year-old children.
Year 3 pupils at Rosemead Preparatory School in Dulwich, south London, were in the middle of a handwriting lesson when the roof caved in above their heads on November 15, 2021.
Several of the youngsters along with their teacher were taken to hospital with various injuries – including fractured limbs, cuts and concussion – when tables and chairs fell from the attic above.
Safety measures include propping up ceilings in buildings made with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The Department for Education (DfE) has not given a timeline for replacing the RAAC, but school leaders have called for an ‘urgent plan’ to fix buildings.
A report in June assessed the risk of injury or death from a school building collapse as ‘very likely and critical’.
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the NAHT, the union representing school leaders told the Guardian: ‘NAHT has repeatedly raised concerns about these buildings for a long time now, so while this news is shocking, sadly it is not hugely surprising.
‘What we are seeing here are the very real consequences of a decade of swingeing cuts to spending on school buildings.
‘The government is right to put the safety of pupils and staff first – if the safety of buildings cannot be guaranteed, there is no choice but to close them so urgent building work can take place.
‘But there is no escaping the fact that the timing of this couldn’t be worse, with children due to return from the summer holidays next week.
‘This will put school leaders under tremendous pressure as they have to scramble to organise alternative accommodation.’
The Unison public service union’s head of education Mike Short said: ‘This situation is nothing short of a scandal.
‘The DfE and government have squandered valuable months hiding this crisis when they should have been fixing dangerous school buildings.
‘The schools minister even broke his own promise to publish information about at-risk properties before parliament’s summer recess.
‘Parents, pupils and staff will be relieved the issue is finally being taken seriously.
‘But to wait until the eleventh hour as schools are preparing for a new academic year will create turmoil for thousands of families. And this could just be the tip of the iceberg.’
Association of School and College Leaders policy director Julie McCulloch said the Government had been too slow to respond.
She said: ‘The danger of structural failure in school buildings where this type of concrete was used in construction has been known since at least 2018.
‘The Department for Education’s own annual report last year identified the condition of school buildings as one of six ‘significant risks’ it was managing, describing this risk as ‘critical – very likely’ and ‘worsening’.
‘It has taken the Government far too long to act on a risk of this seriousness.
‘The scramble now taking place to contact affected schools ahead of the imminent start of the new school year is clearly vital, but the actions these schools will need to take will be hugely disruptive, and this will obviously be worrying for pupils, families and staff.
‘The Government should have put in place a programme to identify and remediate this risk at a much earlier stage.’
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: ‘This shocking admission is a concrete result of years of Conservative neglect of our school buildings.
‘Parents, teachers and pupils will be horrified that children have been taught in unsafe buildings and cannot return to school next week.
‘Instead pupils face more misery learning in temporary classrooms or being bussed miles to local schools.
‘Pupil safety is paramount but for this to come out just days before term starts is totally unacceptable.
‘Liberal Democrats would invest in our schools urgently to remove RAAC where it is a risk to life and clear the backlog of school repairs.’
School trust chiefs warned the timing of the announcement ‘couldn’t be more disruptive’ and called on the Department for Education (DfE) to make sure its response was ‘as strong as possible’.
Confederation of School Trusts chief executive Leora Cruddas said: ‘This is a very serious situation and it couldn’t be more disruptive at the start of a new academic year.
‘However, children’s safety must come first so the government is right to proceed with caution.
‘It is absolutely imperative that the operational response from the DfE is as strong as possible and that this gets schools and trusts the help they need in this extremely challenging circumstances.’
How the Government Failed to Act on the Collapsing School Building Scandal
Ministers’ claims that the school building scandal only emerged ‘over the summer’ is contradicted by evidence of warnings going back years
Ministers claimed today that the collapsing school buildings issue only emerged as a serious problem in recent weeks. Education Minister Nick Gibbs told ITV this morning that “this is only an issue that emerged over the summer”.
However, this claim is refuted by a wealth of evidence, from local government to the National Audit Office, to one of the Government’s own agencies.
The problem actually first emerged five years ago when a school roof collapsed in Gravesend, Kent destroying the staff room and a computer room. No children were there when it happened.
The collapse alarmed Kent education authority who decided to alert all councils in England about the problem so everyone, including the Department for Education, were aware of the issue.
Then last September The Office for Government Property – which supports the government and the wider public sector to manage their estate more efficiently and effectively – issued a blunt warning about the dangers of aerated concrete to Whitehall.
It said: “RAAC[aerated concrete] is now life-expired and liable to collapse – this has already happened in two schools with little or no notice.”
The National Audit Office, Parliament’s financial watchdog, decided to launch a thorough investigation into how many schools were affected and how much money schools needed to put it and other schools right. They came up with the figures of £7 billion but the Treasury was only prepared to spend £3.1 billion on the problem.
The NAO report, published at the end of June, revealed that there were 572 schools built using aerated concrete and provided a map broken into London boroughs and English education authorities, showing how much money was needed to be spent in each authority to bring all buildings, including those with aerated concrete, up to scratch. The government would have known the NAO’s findings months before publication because it had to factually clear it with the Department for Education.
Only then did the Department start checking some of the schools to see if they were safe.
During the summer holidays two school buildings using aerated concrete collapsed, one bringing a beam down and it seems only then that ministers began to panic and take action to protect children.
Last night Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, suddenly announced that over 100 schools were going to be closed, or partially closed, and the pupils diverted to temporary accommodation or other schools just before term begins next week.
The issue is that the buildings were constructed with aerated concrete which is now life-expired and prone to collapse without any warning.
The ministry is refusing to release details of the two schools where the collapses occurred (including one last week) or to name the 104 schools being closed or partly closed. The ministry claimed that it didn’t want the media to overwhelm the schools concerned “saying it was up to the schools or the parents to make the information public”.
Despite this, information is leaking out with schools in Bradford, Leicester, Sheffield, Basingstoke, Brixton in south London, County Durham and a special school in Southend all facing closure or partial closure.
It also emerged on Thursday that seven of the hospitals being rebuilt or replaced also have aerated concrete problems and Harrow Crown Court has been closed for nine months to replace its aerated concrete roof.
Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: “Nothing is more important than making sure children and staff are safe in schools and colleges, which is why we are acting on new evidence about RAAC now, ahead of the start of term.
“We must take a cautious approach because that is the right thing to do for both pupils and staff.
“The plan we have set out will minimise the impact on pupil learning and provide schools with the right funding and support they need to put mitigations in place to deal with RAAC”.
Labour plans to challenge the Government over the issue next week when parliament returns.
Alex Kasprak
Thu, 31 August 2023
Betterman / Getty Images
Claim:
A photo authentically shows Joan Baez holding a bong and smoking marijuana with Jimi Hendrix.
Rating:
Rating: Fake
Since as early as 2013, a photo of Joan Baez and Jimi Hendrix apparently smoking marijuana and sharing a bong repeatedly goes viral on various social media platforms:
This picture has been manipulated. The original photo, taken in August 1968, contains no bong:
The caption provided by Getty Images explains the context behind the photograph, which occurred during a relief concert for refugees of the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War:
Folk singer Joan Baez and rock singer Jimi Hendrix chat between acts at a Biafran Relief Benefit show at a place in Manhattan called Steve Paul's Scene. Both Miss Baez and Hendrix performed free of charge and Hendrix contributed $500 cash to the fund. The benefit was to raise food and money for refugees of the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War.
It is unlikely that Baez would be photographed smoking marijuana, as she has publicly stated her distaste for drugs. In discussing her short-lived relationship with Bob Dylan with Rolling Stone Magazine, for example, Baez referenced her lack of interest in drugs:
By 1965, though, Dylan's desire to move toward rock and his waning interest in protest songs helped drive them apart. Baez thinks her distaste for drugs distanced her from Dylan in the Sixties and later, during their reunion on the 1975–76 Rolling Thunder Revue. "I was the only one who didn't do drugs," she says of those shows. "It was the same as that trip to England," she adds, referring to the 1965 Dylan tour documented in Don't Look Back. "I couldn't connect with what their brains were doing."
In a 2021 interview with CBS, Baez said that she did "zero" drugs during her heyday as a musician in the 60s, though she has, periodically, tried marijuana more recently. "I try periodically because people say it's a great way to relax or whatever," she said. "It doesn't work for me."
Because the image is photoshopped to add a bong and marijuana smoke that were not there in the original photo, we rate it Fake.
Sources:
alihamzah23023. "Joan Baez & Jimi Hendrix Sharing a Bong before a Performance, Early 1970." R/OldSchoolCool, 7 Apr. 2016, www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/4dpoo4/joan_baez_jimi_hendrix_sharing_a_bong_before_a/.
Browne, David. "Joan Baez's Fighting Side: The Life and Times of a Secret Badass." Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2017, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/joan-baezs-fighting-side-the-life-and-times-of-a-secret-badass-129051/.
"CBS Mornings on TikTok." TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@cbsmornings/video/6969232037899275526?lang=en. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.
"Folk Singer Joan Baez and Rock Singer Jimi Hendrix Chat between Acts..." Getty Images, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/folk-singer-joan-baez-and-rock-singer-jimi-hendrix-chat-news-photo/515448732. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.
insanepuma. "Hits from the Bong with Jimi Hendrix and Joan Baez." R/OldCoolSchool, 24 Feb. 2017, www.reddit.com/r/OldCoolSchool/comments/5vxope/hits_from_the_bong_with_jimi_hendrix_and_joan_baez/.
https://www.instagram.com/p/iMxB20P_RD/?hl=af. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.
Joshua Askew
Thu, 31 August 2023
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shocked Europe into taking a long hard look at its defences.
With peace in the region no longer a given, many Western capitals began asking if conscription was a solution to their security fears, at times igniting firey debate.
Lithuania in August announced plans to extend its draft, joining Denmark, while German and British politicians have suggested reviving compulsory military service.
But is conscription the right approach to Russian aggression? What impacts could its revival have on Europe? Will it prove counterproductive or help defend the region?
“Europe’s armed forces, particularly those on the border with Russia, now realise they don't have enough manpower,” said Vincenzo Bove, professor of political science at Warwick University, who specialises in conscription. "They clearly see conscription as a solution to that."
“Whether this is a good idea in terms of deterring a potential Russian invasion, we’re not really sure,” he continued, suggesting there was a lack of evidence about the effectiveness of conscript armies compared to regular forces.
Owing to the complexity of modern warfare, Bove questioned if conscripts could be properly trained to use the advanced equipment or tactics employed today in the short time available.
FILE - Oleg flies a drone while testing it on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 8, 2022. - Natacha Pisarenko/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved
"Just look at what is happening now in Russia with conscripts… They're not highly motivated. Young men are being forced to work. The majority of them would rather be doing something else."
A former Wagner mercenary in July told Euronews that while he served in Ukraine one of his main duties was to ensure Russian conscripts - “barely 21-years-old” - would not run away, as they were so reluctant to fight.
Canon fodder?
Besides economic concerns about the inefficiency of compulsory military service – with massive numbers of people prevented from doing something where they could be more productive – Bove raised ethical concerns about sending civilians into battle with little experience.
Having served in the Italian Navy for 15 years, he said: “Three years isn't enough to teach the basics of warfare… even using basic weapons requires a lot of training.”
“Some countries are talking about three-month programmes… that’s nothing. They won't even learn how to salute,” Bove added in jest.
Tucked on Russia’s border via the small enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuania recently began drafting reforms to its conscription system, which could see people living and studying abroad called up.
One option in the proposals is to enlist recruits voluntarily for one-month training sessions every summer for three years. They would in theory then be ready for battle.
Along with Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Austria, Greece and Estonia currently have some form of compulsory military service, alongside warring parties Ukraine and Russia.
FILE - A Leopard 2 tank is seen in action at the Bundeswehr tank battalion 203 at the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. - Martin Meissner/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.
Still, others were supportive of conscription - with caveats.
Critical of “performative acts" where “every man and woman is herded into military service", Elisabeth Braw at the American Enterprise Institute told Euronews selective systems can “work really well".
The defence analyst pointed to the “incredibly successful” example of Norway, where citizens are called up en masse, but only a certain percentage are chosen for training.
“The army gets the best and the brightest, and on top of that service is an asset on a conscript's CV," she explained, with passing selection a mark of prestige.
In 2015, Norway became the first European country to introduce compulsory military service for both men and women. It still retains a professional military, providing the bedrock of its defence.
Braw offered a note of caution about conscription, however.
“Troops must be equipped with meaningful skills. It has to be time well spent," she said. "The Kremlin isn't going to be frightened by a conscript model that's not thought through, with young men and women sitting idle in barracks."
Some skills often cited by advocates are social and survival skills, functioning under pressure, stress tolerance, functioning in crisis situations and general resilience.
Enlisted civilians could be put to use beyond defence, Braw continued.
“Keeping a country safe is about more than the armed forces. It's about public health, infrastructure protection, and healthcare. Young people can be called up when they are needed to help protect the country from crises or disasters."
“There are so many societal problems the government alone cannot solve.”
France in 2019 launched a form of soft conscription, with young people offered voluntary civic service. Macron billed his pet project as a way of developing patriotism and social cohesion, though opponents say it diverted money for the wider education system.
Some Studies show conscripts are more likely to face unemployment when their service finishes, while others doubt if acquired skills are transferable to other sectors or learned at all.
Does military service breed patriotism?
One reason Europe is resorting to conscription - where men and women are typically legally obliged to fight - is that conventional recruitment drives aren't working.
The German army, for example, is failing to attract new soldiers, despite a vast initiative to strengthen itself amid the Ukraine war, the country's Ministry of Defence announced in August.
Why exactly people don't want to serve is unclear.
An argument by experts is militaries cannot compete with private sector wages and conditions, with army jobs often difficult and dangerous.
Yet, Bove said this claim cannot explain what is happening in areas of Europe with high unemployment, such as southern Italy or Spain. Here civilians still don't want to join up.
Another explanation is cultural, with civilians spurning the army because they don't share its “overarching goals and purposes,” he told Euronews.
Devastating wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have left “long-lasting” negative attitudes towards the military, with Bove doubting that throwing cash at the problem could improve recruitment.
Millions killed in aftermath of post 9/11 wars, finds new report
Arguments exist that conscription can boost patriotism and a population's willingness to defend itself against an aggressor.
“Conscript service has a long history in Finland and has broad support in society,” said Elina Riutta, President of the Finnish Conscripts Union, in a statement sent to Euronews.
As Ukraine shows, "war affects the whole society. The more people are trained in case of a crisis, the better resilience society has," she added.
Finnish soldiers attends a field training exercise Sapeli 23, led by the Guard Jaeger Regiment, in Porvoo, Finland, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. - Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva
“The Russian threat has always been known in Finland, so the war in Ukraine does not in itself change things regarding conscript service, but rather emphasises its purposefulness.”
“The will to defend the country among conscripts and the entire nation is currently at a record high.”
Finland is in a unique position geographically, sharing a long border with Russia that it has fought in the past. Its example is not necessarily applicable to other countries.
Research by Bove and his colleagues Riccardo Di Leo and Marco Giani found conscription actually can create a gap between people and their government.
“Conscription makes people identify with the armed forces, but his loyalty clashes with that towards other democratic institutions, causing people to trust the authorities less.”
“If you're worried about the increasing distance between younger generations and the state, then conscription is not the answer. It's actually counterproductive,” he added.
August jobs report: U.S. added 187,000 jobs, unemployment rate rises
Josh Schafer
·Reporter
Fri, September 1, 2023
The unemployment rate in August hit its highest level since February 2022, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Friday.
But a jump in the unemployment rate to 3.8% from 3.5% might not be a bad sign for the overall health of the US labor market.
"This was one of those 'good reasons' increases," Jefferies US economist Thomas Simons wrote in a note on Friday. "Given the tightness in the labor market, more supply is welcome, and sometimes it takes a little while for new entrants to find a fit."
In August, the civilian labor force added 736,000 participants from the month prior. As a result, the labor force participation rate rose to 62.8% in August, its highest level since reaching 63.3% in February 2020.
The US economy has added 3.1 million civilians back into the workforce over the last year.
And economists see the August jobs report as another sign supply and demand for workers is coming into a "better balance" as the post-pandemic labor market defined by the 'Great Resignation' recedes. This, economists note, would likely be a welcome development for the Federal Reserve as Chair Jerome Powell has repeatedly stated the labor market needs better balance between supply and demand.
"Labor supply continues to surprise to the upside and is helping rebalance the labor market," Bank of America US economist Stephen Juneau wrote in a note to clients on Friday.
In August, the NFIB's small business jobs report showed 40% percent of the 611 small business owners surveyed reported job openings they couldn't fill, the lowest level since February 2021.
The Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, out earlier this week also revealed workers are quitting their jobs at the lowest rate since January 2021, indicating workers are valuing the certainty of employment over the possibility of a new role. Over the last year, the number of open jobs in the US has dropped by 2.5 million.
A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Prospect Heights, Ill., on April 4, 2023.
'No one left to hire'
The jump in unemployment in August was driven by younger and older workers — those between 16-24 and those 55 and older — a sign to some economists that so-called "prime age" workers, or those between 25-54, are fully engaged with the workforce.
Participation from prime age workers increased to 83.5%, matching a 21-year high previously seen in June. Economists at Wells Fargo noted that participation from older workers and teenaged workers also picked up in August, rising 0.2% and 0.8% percentage points, respectively.
"There is virtually no one left to hire in the prime age cohorts, except for roughly 50k/month new entrants into the labor force (i.e. college and HS grads)," Simons wrote. "The age cohorts with remaining slack likely won't be able to meet the skills requirements for many current job openings."
In Simons' view, this means a lack of supply will see employment gains "slow significantly."
Other factors, including the end of the student loan moratorium and dwindling pandemic era savings, could also be at play in driving folks back to seeking work as the consumer is expected to come under pressure over the back half of the year and into 2024.
But one month's data has some economists wary of calling this the start of something bigger happening in the US labor market.
"The participation rates for younger and older workers have been more volatile than for prime-age workers, so it's not clear whether the August increases mark the beginning of a sustained rise," Oxford Economics lead US economist Nancy Vanden Houten wrote on Friday.
Josh Schafer is a reporter for Yahoo Finance.