Millions of potential workers sidelined: Missing workers,* January 2006–February 2015
| Date | Missing workers |
|---|---|
| 2006-01-01 | 530,000 |
| 2006-02-01 | 110,000 |
| 2006-03-01 | 110,000 |
| 2006-04-01 | 250,000 |
| 2006-05-01 | 210,000 |
| 2006-06-01 | 110,000 |
| 2006-07-01 | 60,000 |
| 2006-08-01 | -120,000 |
| 2006-09-01 | 120,000 |
| 2006-10-01 | -50,000 |
| 2006-11-01 | -220,000 |
| 2006-12-01 | -500,000 |
| 2007-01-01 | -460,000 |
| 2007-02-01 | -210,000 |
| 2007-03-01 | -150,000 |
| 2007-04-01 | 650,000 |
| 2007-05-01 | 560,000 |
| 2007-06-01 | 360,000 |
| 2007-07-01 | 370,000 |
| 2007-08-01 | 840,000 |
| 2007-09-01 | 410,000 |
| 2007-10-01 | 800,000 |
| 2007-11-01 | 280,000 |
| 2007-12-01 | 250,000 |
| 2008-01-01 | -320,000 |
| 2008-02-01 | 220,000 |
| 2008-03-01 | 50,000 |
| 2008-04-01 | 340,000 |
| 2008-05-01 | -60,000 |
| 2008-06-01 | 20,000 |
| 2008-07-01 | -70,000 |
| 2008-08-01 | -90,000 |
| 2008-09-01 | 180,000 |
| 2008-10-01 | 60,000 |
| 2008-11-01 | 420,000 |
| 2008-12-01 | 420,000 |
| 2009-01-01 | 710,000 |
| 2009-02-01 | 620,000 |
| 2009-03-01 | 1,050,000 |
| 2009-04-01 | 750,000 |
| 2009-05-01 | 650,000 |
| 2009-06-01 | 650,000 |
| 2009-07-01 | 1,040,000 |
| 2009-08-01 | 1,320,000 |
| 2009-09-01 | 2,050,000 |
| 2009-10-01 | 2,270,000 |
| 2009-11-01 | 2,300,000 |
| 2009-12-01 | 3,120,000 |
| 2010-01-01 | 2,770,000 |
| 2010-02-01 | 2,690,000 |
| 2010-03-01 | 2,440,000 |
| 2010-04-01 | 1,940,000 |
| 2010-05-01 | 2,530,000 |
| 2010-06-01 | 2,950,000 |
| 2010-07-01 | 3,220,000 |
| 2010-08-01 | 2,830,000 |
| 2010-09-01 | 3,200,000 |
| 2010-10-01 | 3,640,000 |
| 2010-11-01 | 3,310,000 |
| 2010-12-01 | 3,800,000 |
| 2011-01-01 | 3,910,000 |
| 2011-02-01 | 4,110,000 |
| 2011-03-01 | 3,960,000 |
| 2011-04-01 | 4,000,000 |
| 2011-05-01 | 4,110,000 |
| 2011-06-01 | 4,220,000 |
| 2011-07-01 | 4,640,000 |
| 2011-08-01 | 4,100,000 |
| 2011-09-01 | 3,990,000 |
| 2011-10-01 | 4,090,000 |
| 2011-11-01 | 4,090,000 |
| 2011-12-01 | 4,150,000 |
| 2012-01-01 | 4,450,000 |
| 2012-02-01 | 4,180,000 |
| 2012-03-01 | 4,240,000 |
| 2012-04-01 | 4,630,000 |
| 2012-05-01 | 4,240,000 |
| 2012-06-01 | 4,060,000 |
| 2012-07-01 | 4,520,000 |
| 2012-08-01 | 4,630,000 |
| 2012-09-01 | 4,500,000 |
| 2012-10-01 | 3,930,000 |
| 2012-11-01 | 4,370,000 |
| 2012-12-01 | 4,070,000 |
| 2013-01-01 | 4,350,000 |
| 2013-02-01 | 4,790,000 |
| 2013-03-01 | 5,310,000 |
| 2013-04-01 | 5,060,000 |
| 2013-05-01 | 4,840,000 |
| 2013-06-01 | 4,700,000 |
| 2013-07-01 | 5,030,000 |
| 2013-08-01 | 5,150,000 |
| 2013-09-01 | 5,370,000 |
| 2013-10-01 | 6,120,000 |
| 2013-11-01 | 5,700,000 |
| 2013-12-01 | 5,950,000 |
| 2014-01-01 | 5,850,000 |
| 2014-02-01 | 5,650,000 |
| 2014-03-01 | 5,330,000 |
| 2014-04-01 | 6,210,000 |
| 2014-05-01 | 5,940,000 |
| 2014-06-01 | 5,950,000 |
| 2014-07-01 | 5,810,000 |
| 2014-08-01 | 5,890,000 |
| 2014-09-01 | 6,250,000 |
| 2014-10-01 | 5,720,000 |
| 2014-11-01 | 5,760,000 |
| 2014-12-01 | 6,100,000 |
| 2015-01-01 | 5,760,000 |
| 2015-02-01 | 5,970,000 |
* 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