Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ ↗
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POLITICS

The Claim

More than 105 million Americans are not in the labor force and are not looking for work.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

Current BLS data support the figure. In June 2026, the main seasonally adjusted household survey estimates showed about 105.8 million people not in the labor force, and that category means they were not employed and not actively seeking work during the reference period. One not-seasonally-adjusted BLS table falls just below 105 million, but that does not materially change the overall takeaway.

Caveats

  • Different BLS tables use different adjustments; one official June 2026 not-seasonally-adjusted table is slightly under 105 million.
  • In BLS terms, "not looking for work" means not actively searching during the reference period; some people in this group still report that they want a job.
  • These labor-force figures cover the civilian noninstitutional population, not every person living in the United States.

The Receipts

  1. Table A-16. People not in the labor force and multiple jobholders by sex, not seasonally adjusted

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  2. Employment Situation News Release – Table A-16 (June 2026)

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  3. Employment Situation Summary Table A. Household data, seasonally adjusted

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  4. The Employment Situation - June 2026

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  5. Table A-1. Employment status of the civilian population by sex and age

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  6. CPS Home : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (June 2026 indicators)

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  7. A-38. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  8. Labor Force Series Time Series Description

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

  9. More and more Americans are outside the labor force entirely. Who are they?

    Pew Research Center

  10. People Not in the Labor Force

    Eye On Housing (National Association of Home Builders)

+ 16 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

United StatesValuetainment

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