2017 Annual Averages ‐ Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Current Population Survey > Home

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
	2016	2017	16 to 24 years		25 to 54 years		55 years and over		Men		Women
	2016	2017	2016	2017	2016	2017	2016	2017	2016	2017	2016	2017
Total not in the labor force	94,351	94,759	17,232	16,989	23,513	23,014	53,606	54,756	37,743	38,130	56,608	56,629
Do not want a job now(1)	88,502	89,242	15,452	15,335	21,032	20,732	52,018	53,175	35,009	35,591	53,492	53,650
Want a job(1)	5,849	5,518	1,780	1,655	2,481	2,282	1,587	1,581	2,733	2,539	3,116	2,979
Did not search for work in previous year	3,415	3,320	994	953	1,353	1,281	1,069	1,086	1,522	1,450	1,894	1,870
Searched for work in previous year, but not in past 4 weeks(2)	2,434	2,198	787	702	1,128	1,001	519	495	1,211	1,089	1,222	1,109
Not available to work now	630	610	257	263	287	258	86	90	251	254	379	357
Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)	1,804	1,587	530	439	841	743	433	405	960	835	843	752
Discouraged over job prospects(4)	553	476	130	115	267	223	156	138	345	299	208	177
Reasons other than discouragement	1,250	1,112	400	324	573	519	277	268	615	536	635	575
Family responsibilities	199	188	26	23	127	121	46	44	61	53	138	135
In school or training	224	187	171	141	47	41	7	6	120	103	105	84
Ill health or disability	144	139	16	13	67	54	62	71	77	68	67	71
Other(5)	682	598	187	147	333	304	162	147	356	312	326	286
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: January 16, 2019