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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
HOUSEHOLD DATA
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
A-38. People not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex [In thousands]
Category Total Age Sex
May
2025		 May
2026		 16 to 24
years		 25 to 54
years		 55 years
and over		 Men Women
May
2025		 May
2026		 May
2025		 May
2026		 May
2025		 May
2026		 May
2025		 May
2026		 May
2025		 May
2026

Total not in the labor force

 103,169 105,253 17,926 18,060 21,765 20,971 63,477 66,222 43,102 43,696 60,067 61,558

Do not want a job now(1)

 96,602 98,497 15,299 15,252 19,524 18,668 61,778 64,577 39,954 40,428 56,648 58,069

Want a job(1)

 6,567 6,756 2,627 2,808 2,241 2,303 1,699 1,645 3,148 3,268 3,419 3,488

Did not search for work in previous year

 3,957 4,179 1,444 1,722 1,305 1,287 1,209 1,171 1,821 1,996 2,136 2,183

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

 2,610 2,576 1,183 1,086 936 1,016 490 475 1,327 1,271 1,282 1,305

Not available to work now

 1,109 939 672 574 328 269 109 96 545 455 564 485

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

 1,500 1,637 511 511 609 747 381 378 782 817 718 820

Discouraged over job prospects(4)

 352 449 78 134 167 231 108 84 197 241 155 208

Reasons other than discouragement

 1,148 1,188 433 377 442 516 273 294 585 576 563 612

Family responsibilities

 155 169 48 25 60 88 47 56 39 45 116 124

In school or training

 220 197 187 150 32 47 1 0 97 84 123 113

Ill health or disability

 155 167 10 7 86 70 59 90 99 107 56 61

Other(5)

 618 655 188 195 263 311 167 148 349 341 269 314

Footnotes
(1) Includes some people who are not asked if they want a job, such as passive jobseekers.
(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.

 

Last Modified Date: June 05, 2026