- Jun 12, 2010
- 102,668
- 25,092
No, it's not fuzzy math. If you don't want to work, you aren't looking for work and you wouldn't take a job if it was offered, why would a study of the labor market include you as a member of the labor market?
GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW FUZZY MATH WORKS.^^^^^^^^^^
If you don't have a job no matter if you're looking or not you are unemployed. If not what would you be?
Not in the Labor Force.
The Labor Force is available labor. People not trying to work are obviously not available labor. Most of the 86 million people not in the labor force are over 65 or disabled or students or stay home spouses. A minority say they do want a job, though most of those couldn't take one if offered. A portion of those who say they want a job say they are available and they have looked in the last year but stopped looking (illness/injury/pregnancy/child care or transportation issues etc). These are called the Marginally Attached because there's a good chance they will become available soon. About half the Marginally Attached say the reason they quit looking was because they didn't think they'd find work (too old, too young, not the right skills, bad economy) and these are the discouraged (about a million currently). The U-4 measurement includes the discouraged and the U-5 measurement includes all Marginally Attached.
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