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
	2020	2021	16 to 24 years		25 to 54 years		55 years and over		Men		Women
	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021
Total not in the labor force	99,587	100,241	17,278	16,574	23,416	23,241	58,893	60,426	40,718	40,983	58,869	59,259
Do not want a job now(1)	92,464	93,912	15,364	14,919	20,052	20,272	57,048	58,722	37,256	37,999	55,208	55,913
Want a job(1)	7,123	6,329	1,914	1,656	3,363	2,969	1,846	1,704	3,462	2,984	3,661	3,346
Did not search for work in previous year	4,588	3,925	1,176	1,010	2,068	1,699	1,344	1,216	2,166	1,774	2,423	2,151
Searched for work in previous year, but not in past 4 weeks(2)	2,535	2,404	739	646	1,295	1,270	501	488	1,296	1,209	1,239	1,194
Not available to work now	572	622	193	206	299	329	80	87	241	253	331	369
Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)	1,962	1,782	545	440	996	941	421	401	1,055	956	907	826
Discouraged over job prospects(4)	574	510	136	104	301	279	137	127	343	312	231	198
Reasons other than discouragement	1,388	1,272	409	336	694	662	285	273	712	644	676	628
Family responsibilities	124	155	18	20	84	107	22	28	40	54	84	101
In school or training	141	154	110	108	29	41	2	4	68	76	73	78
Ill health or disability	123	142	14	18	57	70	52	54	68	79	55	63
Other(5)	1,000	820	267	190	524	444	209	187	536	435	464	385
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 20, 2022