2019 Annual Averages ‐ Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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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
	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	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