job openings at the Owensboro Health Regional Hospital during a Regional Career and Job Fair in the Owensboro Sports Center in Owensboro, Ky. (AP Photo/The Messenger-Inquirer, Gary Emord-Netzley, File)
The number of Americans who are 16 years or older and who have decided not to participate in the nation’s labor force has climbed to a record 91,541,000 in October, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The BLS counts a person as participating in the labor force if they are 16 years or older and either have a job or have actively sought a job in the last four weeks. A person is not participating in the labor force if they are 16 or older and have not sought a job in the last four weeks.
From August to September, according to BLS, Americans not participating in the labor force climbed from 90,473,000 to 90,609,000, with a one-month increase of 136,000.
In October, it climbed again to 91,541,000, an increase of 932,000 during the month.
