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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
Bureau of Labor Statistics > Current Population Survey > Home

See also PDF and XLSX versions of this table. (See other 2021 annual average tables or tables for other years.)

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
2020 2021 16 to 24
years		 25 to 54
years		 55 years
and over		 Men Women
2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021 2020 2021

Total not in the labor force

 99,587 100,241 17,278 16,574 23,416 23,241 58,893 60,426 40,718 40,983 58,869 59,259

Do not want a job now(1)

 92,464 93,912 15,364 14,919 20,052 20,272 57,048 58,722 37,256 37,999 55,208 55,913

Want a job(1)

 7,123 6,329 1,914 1,656 3,363 2,969 1,846 1,704 3,462 2,984 3,661 3,346

Did not search for work in previous year

 4,588 3,925 1,176 1,010 2,068 1,699 1,344 1,216 2,166 1,774 2,423 2,151

Searched for work in previous year,
but not in past 4 weeks(2)

 2,535 2,404 739 646 1,295 1,270 501 488 1,296 1,209 1,239 1,194

Not available to work now

 572 622 193 206 299 329 80 87 241 253 331 369

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

 1,962 1,782 545 440 996 941 421 401 1,055 956 907 826

Discouraged over job
prospects(4)

 574 510 136 104 301 279 137 127 343 312 231 198

Reasons other than discouragement

 1,388 1,272 409 336 694 662 285 273 712 644 676 628

Family responsibilities

 124 155 18 20 84 107 22 28 40 54 84 101

In school or training

 141 154 110 108 29 41 2 4 68 76 73 78

Ill health or disability

 123 142 14 18 57 70 52 54 68 79 55 63

Other(5)

 1,000 820 267 190 524 444 209 187 536 435 464 385

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 20, 2022