A-38. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex

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
	July 2017	July 2018	16 to 24 years		25 to 54 years		55 years and over		Men		Women
	July 2017	July 2018	July 2017	July 2018	July 2017	July 2018	July 2017	July 2018	July 2017	July 2018	July 2017	July 2018
Total not in the labor force	93,240	94,109	15,045	14,981	23,256	22,993	54,939	56,135	37,099	37,602	56,141	56,507
Do not want a job now(1)	87,527	88,626	13,360	13,383	20,876	20,813	53,292	54,431	34,499	35,073	53,028	53,553
Want a job(1)	5,713	5,483	1,685	1,598	2,380	2,180	1,648	1,704	2,600	2,529	3,113	2,953
Did not search for work in previous year	3,518	3,440	1,041	989	1,353	1,254	1,123	1,197	1,564	1,590	1,954	1,850
Searched for work in previous year(2), but not in past 4 weeks	2,195	2,043	644	610	1,027	927	524	507	1,036	939	1,159	1,104
Not available to work now	566	545	215	163	232	294	120	88	200	212	367	333
Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)	1,629	1,498	429	447	796	633	404	419	837	727	792	771
Discouraged over job prospects(4)	536	512	146	122	259	214	131	176	276	327	259	184
Reasons other than discouragement	1,093	986	283	325	537	419	274	243	560	400	533	587
Family responsibilities	183	213	38	38	98	136	47	39	65	60	118	153
In school or training	124	97	78	65	47	32	0	0	75	33	50	64
Ill health or disability	152	120	5	9	67	43	79	67	107	48	45	72
Other(5)	634	557	162	213	324	207	148	137	314	260	320	298
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: April 18, 2023