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U.S. Labor Force Nonparticipants Reach Record 104.3 Million

U.S. Labor Force Nonparticipants Reach Record 104.3 Million

The figure covers Americans who are neither employed nor actively seeking work, including retirees, students, stay-at-home parents, and discouraged workers.

Fact Check
The figure of 104.3 million is directly supported by official data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 'Employment Situation News Release - February 2026' (Table A-1) reports the seasonally adjusted number of persons 'Not in labor force' as 104,283,000. This is the highest value recorded in the series shown, confirming the 'record' status. The definition provided in the claim (retirees, students, etc.) accurately reflects the BLS criteria for this category.
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Summary

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Terms & Concepts
  • Labor force participation: A measure of how many working-age people are employed or actively looking for work.
  • Discouraged workers: People who want a job but have stopped searching, so they are not counted in the labor force.