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2015 Annual Averages ‐ Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex

HOUSEHOLD DATA
ANNUAL AVERAGES
35. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex
[In thousands]
Category	Total		Age						Sex
	2014	2015	16 to 24 years		25 to 54 years		55 years and over		Men		Women
	2014	2015	2014	2015	2014	2015	2014	2015	2014	2015	2014	2015
Total not in the labor force	92,025	93,671	17,418	17,367	23,744	23,957	50,863	52,347	36,865	37,481	55,159	56,190
Do not want a job now(1)	85,702	87,589	15,377	15,525	21,075	21,344	49,250	50,719	33,932	34,681	51,770	52,907
Want a job(1)	6,323	6,082	2,041	1,842	2,669	2,612	1,614	1,628	2,934	2,799	3,389	3,283
Did not search for work in previous year	3,448	3,454	1,072	1,030	1,337	1,357	1,039	1,067	1,524	1,507	1,924	1,947
Searched for work in previous year, but not in past 4 weeks(2)	2,875	2,628	969	812	1,332	1,256	574	561	1,409	1,292	1,465	1,336
Not available to work now	667	673	303	287	284	307	81	79	270	277	397	395
Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)	2,207	1,956	666	525	1,048	949	493	482	1,139	1,015	1,068	941
Discouraged over job prospects(4)	739	664	184	159	350	316	205	189	443	404	296	261
Reasons other than discouragement	1,468	1,291	482	366	697	632	289	293	696	611	772	680
Family responsibilities	239	216	34	23	160	138	45	55	65	64	174	153
In school or training	267	212	208	154	54	51	4	7	149	106	118	107
Ill health or disability	161	168	16	16	84	77	61	75	82	84	80	84
Other(5)	801	695	224	174	398	366	179	155	400	358	401	337
Footnotes (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) Persons "marginally attached to the labor force" are those who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months, and were available to take a job during the reference week, but had not looked for work in the past 4 weeks. (4) Discouraged workers are persons marginally attached to the labor force who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for reasons such as thinks no work available, could not find work, lacks schooling or training, employer thinks too young or old, and other types of discrimination. (5) 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: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Last Modified Date: February 10, 2016