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

Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

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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
	2019	2020	16 to 24 years		25 to 54 years		55 years and over		Men		Women
	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020
Total not in the labor force	95,636	99,587	16,656	17,278	22,102	23,416	56,879	58,893	38,667	40,718	56,970	58,869
Do not want a job now(1)	90,593	92,464	15,153	15,364	20,023	20,052	55,417	57,048	36,252	37,256	54,341	55,208
Want a job(1)	5,043	7,123	1,503	1,914	2,078	3,363	1,462	1,846	2,415	3,462	2,629	3,661
Did not search for work in previous year	3,084	4,588	883	1,176	1,157	2,068	1,045	1,344	1,430	2,166	1,654	2,423
Searched for work in previous year, but not in past 4 weeks(2)	1,959	2,535	620	739	921	1,295	418	501	984	1,296	975	1,239
Not available to work now	556	572	229	193	252	299	75	80	242	241	314	331
Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)	1,403	1,962	391	545	669	996	343	421	742	1,055	661	907
Discouraged over job prospects(4)	382	574	86	136	193	301	103	137	239	343	143	231
Reasons other than discouragement	1,021	1,388	306	409	476	694	240	285	503	712	519	676
Family responsibilities	156	124	21	18	103	84	32	22	44	40	112	84
In school or training	146	141	116	110	27	29	4	2	76	68	70	73
Ill health or disability	135	123	14	14	63	57	58	52	73	68	63	55
Other(5)	584	1,000	155	267	283	524	147	209	310	536	274	464
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 22, 2021