Missing Workers

Millions of potential workers sidelined: Missing workers,* January 2006–June 2017

Date Missing workers
2006-01-01 620,000
2006-02-01 160,000
2006-03-01 190,000
2006-04-01 290,000
2006-05-01 170,000
2006-06-01 100,000
2006-07-01 70,000
2006-08-01 -140,000
2006-09-01 110,000
2006-10-01 -130,000
2006-11-01 -390,000
2006-12-01 -660,000
2007-01-01 -660,000
2007-02-01 -480,000
2007-03-01 -410,000
2007-04-01 330,000
2007-05-01 200,000
2007-06-01 80,000
2007-07-01 100,000
2007-08-01 570,000
2007-09-01 150,000
2007-10-01 480,000
2007-11-01 -150,000
2007-12-01 -260,000
2008-01-01 -780,000
2008-02-01 -330,000
2008-03-01 -470,000
2008-04-01 -290,000
2008-05-01 -740,000
2008-06-01 -610,000
2008-07-01 -630,000
2008-08-01 -640,000
2008-09-01 -350,000
2008-10-01 -550,000
2008-11-01 -300,000
2008-12-01 -300,000
2009-01-01 -100,000
2009-02-01 -230,000
2009-03-01 210,000
2009-04-01 -130,000
2009-05-01 -200,000
2009-06-01 -260,000
2009-07-01 120,000
2009-08-01 410,000
2009-09-01 1,220,000
2009-10-01 1,350,000
2009-11-01 1,400,000
2009-12-01 2,100,000
2010-01-01 1,660,000
2010-02-01 1,540,000
2010-03-01 1,320,000
2010-04-01 770,000
2010-05-01 1,330,000
2010-06-01 1,710,000
2010-07-01 1,880,000
2010-08-01 1,490,000
2010-09-01 1,850,000
2010-10-01 2,320,000
2010-11-01 1,960,000
2010-12-01 2,390,000
2011-01-01 2,470,000
2011-02-01 2,640,000
2011-03-01 2,390,000
2011-04-01 2,490,000
2011-05-01 2,650,000
2011-06-01 2,670,000
2011-07-01 3,130,000
2011-08-01 2,480,000
2011-09-01 2,470,000
2011-10-01 2,530,000
2011-11-01 2,510,000
2011-12-01 2,490,000
2012-01-01 2,800,000
2012-02-01 2,550,000
2012-03-01 2,510,000
2012-04-01 2,870,000
2012-05-01 2,560,000
2012-06-01 2,280,000
2012-07-01 2,790,000
2012-08-01 2,770,000
2012-09-01 2,590,000
2012-10-01 2,090,000
2012-11-01 2,490,000
2012-12-01 2,080,000
2013-01-01 2,410,000
2013-02-01 2,720,000
2013-03-01 3,090,000
2013-04-01 2,850,000
2013-05-01 2,840,000
2013-06-01 2,640,000
2013-07-01 2,860,000
2013-08-01 2,950,000
2013-09-01 2,980,000
2013-10-01 3,750,000
2013-11-01 3,370,000
2013-12-01 3,570,000
2014-01-01 3,540,000
2014-02-01 3,270,000
2014-03-01 2,810,000
2014-04-01 3,660,000
2014-05-01 3,540,000
2014-06-01 3,400,000
2014-07-01 3,170,000
2014-08-01 3,180,000
2014-09-01 3,370,000
2014-10-01 2,960,000
2014-11-01 3,030,000
2014-12-01 3,250,000
2015-01-01 2,930,000
2015-02-01 3,140,000
2015-03-01 3,350,000
2015-04-01 3,200,000
2015-05-01 2,870,000
2015-06-01 3,430,000
2015-07-01 3,390,000
2015-08-01 3,470,000
2015-09-01 3,920,000
2015-10-01 3,520,000
2015-11-01 3,340,000
2015-12-01 2,910,000
2016-01-01 2,830,000
2016-02-01 2,420,000
2016-03-01 2,130,000
2016-04-01 2,540,000
2016-05-01 2,980,000
2016-06-01 2,630,000
2016-07-01 2,320,000
2016-08-01 2,220,000
2016-09-01 2,010,000
2016-10-01 2,140,000
2016-11-01 2,320,000
2016-12-01 2,330,000
2017-01-01 1,850,000
2017-02-01 1,590,000
2017-03-01 1,370,000
2017-04-01 1,400,000
2017-05-01 1,860,000
2017-06-01 1,500,000 
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* 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 Current Population Survey public data series

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