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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
CPS CPS Program Links

See also PDF and XLSX versions of this table.

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
2018 2019 16 to 24
years		 25 to 54
years		 55 years
and over		 Men Women
2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019

Total not in the labor force

 95,716 95,636 17,020 16,656 22,685 22,102 56,010 56,879 38,582 38,667 57,134 56,970

Do not want a job now(1)

 90,467 90,593 15,430 15,153 20,513 20,023 54,524 55,417 36,133 36,252 54,334 54,341

Want a job(1)

 5,249 5,043 1,590 1,503 2,172 2,078 1,487 1,462 2,448 2,415 2,800 2,629

Did not search for work in previous year

 3,161 3,084 925 883 1,195 1,157 1,040 1,045 1,399 1,430 1,762 1,654

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

 2,088 1,959 665 620 977 921 447 418 1,049 984 1,039 975

Not available to work now

 571 556 232 229 267 252 72 75 232 242 338 314

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

 1,517 1,403 433 391 709 669 375 343 817 742 700 661

Discouraged over job
prospects(4)

 423 382 93 86 211 193 120 103 266 239 158 143

Reasons other than discouragement

 1,094 1,021 340 306 499 476 255 240 551 503 542 519

Family responsibilities

 173 156 25 21 114 103 35 32 50 44 123 112

In school or training

 184 146 144 116 36 27 4 4 99 76 85 70

Ill health or disability

 152 135 16 14 64 63 72 58 85 73 67 63

Other(5)

 584 584 156 155 285 283 143 147 317 310 267 274

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, 2020