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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 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
2021 2022 16 to 24
years		 25 to 54
years		 55 years
and over		 Men Women
2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022

Total not in the labor force

 100,241 99,686 16,574 16,864 23,241 22,325 60,426 60,497 40,983 41,197 59,259 58,490

Do not want a job now(1)

 93,912 94,047 14,919 15,292 20,272 19,865 58,722 58,891 37,999 38,506 55,913 55,541

Want a job(1)

 6,329 5,639 1,656 1,573 2,969 2,460 1,704 1,606 2,984 2,691 3,346 2,948

Did not search for work in previous year

 3,925 3,500 1,010 929 1,699 1,405 1,216 1,166 1,774 1,636 2,151 1,864

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

 2,404 2,139 646 644 1,270 1,055 488 440 1,209 1,055 1,194 1,084

Not available to work now

 622 656 206 239 329 320 87 97 253 273 369 382

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

 1,782 1,484 440 405 941 735 401 343 956 782 826 702

Discouraged over job
prospects(4)

 510 407 104 97 279 204 127 106 312 254 198 153

Reasons other than discouragement

 1,272 1,077 336 308 662 531 273 237 644 528 628 549

Family responsibilities

 155 171 20 23 107 112 28 36 54 58 101 114

In school or training

 154 132 108 106 41 23 4 3 76 66 78 66

Ill health or disability

 142 140 18 17 70 67 54 56 79 67 63 73

Other(5)

 820 633 190 161 444 329 187 143 435 337 385 296

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 25, 2023