HOUSEHOLD DATA
ANNUAL AVERAGES


35. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex

(In thousands)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                |             |                                         |
                                                |    Total    |                   Age                   |            Sex
                                                |             |                                         |
                                                 _____________ _________________________________________ ___________________________
                                                |      |      |             |             |             |             |
                    Category                    |      |      |  16 to 24   |  25 to 54   |  55 years   |     Men     |    Women
                                                |      |      |    years    |    years    |  and over   |             |
                                                | 1996 | 1997 |             |             |             |             |
                                                               _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
                                                |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
                                                |      |      | 1996 | 1997 | 1996 | 1997 | 1996 | 1997 | 1996 | 1997 | 1996 | 1997
                                                |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
                                                |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
Total not in the labor force....................|66,647|66,837|11,160|11,343|18,720|18,552|36,768|36,942|24,119|24,454|42,528|42,382
  Do not want a job now 1/......................|61,197|61,895| 9,110| 9,434|16,205|16,311|35,882|36,151|21,929|22,420|39,267|39,475
  Want a job 1/.................................| 5,451| 4,941| 2,050| 1,909| 2,514| 2,241|   886|   791| 2,190| 2,034| 3,261| 2,907
    Did not search for work in previous year....| 3,161| 2,857| 1,100| 1,034| 1,407| 1,245|   654|   579| 1,185| 1,118| 1,976| 1,739
    Searched for work in previous year 2/.......| 2,290| 2,084|   950|   875| 1,108|   997|   232|   212| 1,005|   917| 1,285| 1,168
      Not available to work now.................|   732|   669|   365|   346|   328|   289|    40|    34|   277|   257|   455|   412
      Available to work now.....................| 1,558| 1,416|   585|   529|   780|   708|   192|   178|   728|   659|   830|   756
        Reason not currently looking:           |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
          Discouragement over job prospects 3/..|   397|   343|   115|   107|   225|   184|    58|    52|   233|   200|   164|   143
          Reasons other than discouragement.....| 1,160| 1,073|   471|   423|   555|   524|   135|   126|   495|   460|   666|   613
            Family responsibilities.............|   177|   139|    35|    26|   125|    97|    17|    16|    31|    21|   146|   117
            In school or training...............|   257|   235|   211|   188|    43|    45|     3|     2|   138|   113|   119|   121
            Ill health or disability............|   121|   116|    22|    17|    73|    71|    27|    28|    49|    52|    72|    64
            Other 4/............................|   605|   583|   203|   191|   314|   311|    88|    81|   277|   273|   328|   311
                                                |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   1/  Includes some persons who are not asked if they want a job.
   2/  Persons who had a job in the prior 12 months must have searched since the end of that job.
   3/  Includes believes no work available, could not find work, lacks necessary schooling or training, employer thinks too young or
old, and other types of discrimination.
   4/  Includes those who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for such reasons as child-care and transportation
problems, as well as a small number for which reason for nonparticipation was not ascertained.
   NOTE:  Beginning in January 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.