Millions of potential workers sidelined: Missing workers,* January 2006–July 2014

Date Missing workers
Jan-2006 530,000
Feb-2006 110,000
Mar-2006 110,000
Apr-2006 250,000
May-2006 210,000
Jun-2006 110,000
Jul-2006 60,000
Aug-2006 -120,000
Sep-2006 120,000
Oct-2006 -50,000
Nov-2006 -220,000
Dec-2006 -500,000
Jan-2007 -460,000
Feb-2007 -210,000
Mar-2007 -150,000
Apr-2007 650,000
May-2007 560,000
Jun-2007 360,000
Jul-2007 370,000
Aug-2007 840,000
Sep-2007 410,000
Oct-2007 800,000
Nov-2007 280,000
Dec-2007 250,000
Jan-2008 -320,000
Feb-2008 220,000
Mar-2008 50,000
Apr-2008 340,000
May-2008 -60,000
Jun-2008 20,000
Jul-2008 -70,000
Aug-2008 -90,000
Sep-2008 180,000
Oct-2008 60,000
Nov-2008 420,000
Dec-2008 420,000
Jan-2009 710,000
Feb-2009 620,000
Mar-2009 1,050,000
Apr-2009 750,000
May-2009 650,000
Jun-2009 650,000
Jul-2009 1,040,000
Aug-2009 1,320,000
Sep-2009 2,050,000
Oct-2009 2,270,000
Nov-2009 2,300,000
Dec-2009 3,120,000
Jan-2010 2,770,000
Feb-2010 2,680,000
Mar-2010 2,460,000
Apr-2010 1,940,000
May-2010 2,510,000
Jun-2010 2,960,000
Jul-2010 3,210,000
Aug-2010 2,830,000
Sep-2010 3,200,000
Oct-2010 3,570,000
Nov-2010 3,340,000
Dec-2010 3,830,000
Jan-2011 3,950,000
Feb-2011 4,080,000
Mar-2011 3,960,000
Apr-2011 4,020,000
May-2011 4,070,000
Jun-2011 4,220,000
Jul-2011 4,650,000
Aug-2011 4,130,000
Sep-2011 3,970,000
Oct-2011 4,010,000
Nov-2011 4,150,000
Dec-2011 4,230,000
Jan-2012 4,490,000
Feb-2012 4,120,000
Mar-2012 4,220,000
Apr-2012 4,690,000
May-2012 4,190,000
Jun-2012 4,070,000
Jul-2012 4,540,000
Aug-2012 4,690,000
Sep-2012 4,480,000
Oct-2012 3,840,000
Nov-2012 4,400,000
Dec-2012 4,180,000
Jan-2013 4,370,000
Feb-2013 4,700,000
Mar-2013 5,240,000
Apr-2013 5,130,000
May-2013 4,780,000
Jun-2013 4,710,000
Jul-2013 5,050,000
Aug-2013 5,230,000
Sep-2013 5,380,000
Oct-2013 6,060,000
Nov-2013 5,710,000
Dec-2013 6,100,000
Jan-2014 5,850,000
Feb-2014 5,660,000
Mar-2014 5,290,000
Apr-2014 6,220,000
May-2014 5,950,000
Jun-2014 5,980,000
Jul-2014 5,860,000

* Potential workers who, due to weak job opportunities, are neither employed nor actively seeking work

Note: Volatility in the number of missing workers in 2006–2008, including cases of negative numbers of missing workers, is simply the result of month-to-month variability in the sample. The Great Recession–induced pool of missing workers began to form and grow starting in late 2008.

Source: EPI analysis of Mitra Toossi, “Labor Force Projections to 2016: More Workers in Their Golden Years,” Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Labor Review, November 2007; and Current Population Survey public data series

View the underlying data on epi.org.