Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

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]
CategoryTotalAgeSex
2018201916 to 24
years
25 to 54
years
55 years
and over
MenWomen
2018201920182019201820192018201920182019

Total not in the labor force

95,71695,63617,02016,65622,68522,10256,01056,87938,58238,66757,13456,970

Do not want a job now(1)

90,46790,59315,43015,15320,51320,02354,52455,41736,13336,25254,33454,341

Want a job(1)

5,2495,0431,5901,5032,1722,0781,4871,4622,4482,4152,8002,629

Did not search for work in previous year

3,1613,0849258831,1951,1571,0401,0451,3991,4301,7621,654

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

2,0881,9596656209779214474181,0499841,039975

Not available to work now

5715562322292672527275232242338314

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

1,5171,403433391709669375343817742700661

Discouraged over job
prospects(4)

4233829386211193120103266239158143

Reasons other than discouragement

1,0941,021340306499476255240551503542519

Family responsibilities

173156252111410335325044123112

In school or training

18414614411636274499768570

Ill health or disability

15213516146463725885736763

Other(5)

584584156155285283143147317310267274

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