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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
HOUSEHOLD DATA
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
A-38. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex [In thousands]
Category Total Age Sex
May
2022		 May
2023		 16 to 24
years		 25 to 54
years		 55 years
and over		 Men Women
May
2022		 May
2023		 May
2022		 May
2023		 May
2022		 May
2023		 May
2022		 May
2023		 May
2022		 May
2023

Total not in the labor force

 99,521 99,916 17,150 17,432 22,184 21,299 60,188 61,185 41,158 41,618 58,364 58,298

Do not want a job now(1)

 93,342 93,912 15,024 15,118 19,714 19,036 58,604 59,759 38,162 38,716 55,180 55,196

Want a job(1)

 6,180 6,004 2,126 2,314 2,470 2,264 1,584 1,426 2,996 2,902 3,184 3,101

Did not search for work in previous year

 3,942 3,720 1,369 1,337 1,381 1,353 1,193 1,030 1,887 1,801 2,056 1,919

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

 2,237 2,284 757 977 1,089 911 391 396 1,109 1,102 1,128 1,182

Not available to work now

 820 807 395 505 327 233 98 68 351 336 469 471

Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)

 1,417 1,477 362 472 762 677 293 328 758 766 659 711

Discouraged over job prospects(4)

 379 396 69 95 234 191 76 111 207 232 172 165

Reasons other than discouragement

 1,038 1,080 293 377 528 486 217 217 551 534 487 547

Family responsibilities

 169 146 27 10 123 118 19 17 77 60 92 86

In school or training

 154 240 134 197 20 43 0 0 76 105 78 135

Ill health or disability

 146 110 11 8 68 51 68 51 66 52 80 58

Other(5)

 569 584 121 161 317 274 131 149 332 317 237 267

Footnotes
(1) Includes some persons who are not asked if they want a job, such as passive jobseekers.
(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: June 02, 2023