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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

People not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex

See also other file formats and annual average tables or tables for other years.

HOUSEHOLD DATA
ANNUAL AVERAGES
35. People not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex[In thousands]
CategoryTotalAgeSex
2024202516 to 24
years		25 to 54
years		55 years
and over		MenWomen
2024202520242025202420252024202520242025

Total not in the labor force

100,465102,84617,19517,66121,12021,54762,15163,63741,96542,96458,50059,881

Do not want a job now(1)

94,87596,82815,49215,74318,82419,11260,55961,97339,29640,12655,57956,702

Want a job(1)

5,5906,0181,7031,9192,2962,4351,5921,6642,6692,8382,9213,180

Did not search for work in previous year

3,3753,5919801,0671,2481,3251,1471,2001,5591,6311,8161,961

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

2,2162,4277228521,0481,1114454641,1111,2081,1051,219

Not available to work now

6587112553143133089089282304375406

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

1,5581,716468538735803355375828903729813

Discouraged over job
prospects(4)

408509103143204247101120243314165195

Reasons other than discouragement

1,1501,207364395531556254256586589564618

Family responsibilities

16518123279911042445661109119

In school or training

173195131159393433949379103

Ill health or disability

14215118165977645871747177

Other(5)

669680191194334335144151364362305318

Footnotes
(1) Includes some people who are not asked if they want a job.
(2) People who had a job in the prior 12 months must have searched since the end of that job.
(3) People "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 people 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. Annual estimates for 2025 are 11-month averages that exclude October. (Data for October 2025 were not collected due to the federal government shutdown.) As a result, 2025 annual estimates are not strictly comparable with annual averages for other years.

 

Last Modified Date: February 20, 2026