Inactive male labor force U.S. 1990-2022

In 2022, the number of men classified as not being in the labor force amounted to 41.2 million. This is a slight increase from 2021, especially when compared with the difference between 2019 and 2020 when this number jumped by around two million. The number of individuals leaving the labor force dramatically increased that year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inactive male labor force of the United States from 1990 to 2022 (in millions)

Characteristic	Number of men in millions
'22	41.2
'21	40.98
'20	40.72
'19	38.67
'18	38.58
'17	38.13
'16	37.74
'15	37.48
'14	36.87
'13	35.89
'12	35.02
'11	34.34
'10	33.19
'09	32.01
'08	30.59
'07	30.04
'06	29.35
'05	29.12
'04	28.73
'03	28.2
'02	27.09
'01	26.4
'00	25.68
'99	25.21
'98	24.8
'97	24.45
'96	24.12
'95	23.82
'94	23.54
'93	22.93
'92	22.31
'91	22.11
'90	21.37

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Release date

January 2023

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

1990 to 2022

Age group

16 years and older

Supplementary notes

Labor force measures are based on the civilian non-institutional population 16 years old and over. Excluded are persons under 16 years of age, all persons confined to institutions such as nursing homes and prisons, and persons on active duty in the Armed Forces. As mentioned previously, the labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed. The remainder—those who have no job and are not looking for one—are counted as "not in the labor force." Many who are not in the labor force are going to school or are retired. Family responsibilities keep others out of the labor force.

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