Millions of potential workers sidelined: Missing workers,* January 2006–May 2015
| Date | Missing workers |
|---|---|
| 2006-01-01 | 610,000 |
| 2006-02-01 | 160,000 |
| 2006-03-01 | 190,000 |
| 2006-04-01 | 300,000 |
| 2006-05-01 | 170,000 |
| 2006-06-01 | 110,000 |
| 2006-07-01 | 60,000 |
| 2006-08-01 | -140,000 |
| 2006-09-01 | 90,000 |
| 2006-10-01 | -130,000 |
| 2006-11-01 | -380,000 |
| 2006-12-01 | -650,000 |
| 2007-01-01 | -670,000 |
| 2007-02-01 | -480,000 |
| 2007-03-01 | -420,000 |
| 2007-04-01 | 340,000 |
| 2007-05-01 | 200,000 |
| 2007-06-01 | 80,000 |
| 2007-07-01 | 90,000 |
| 2007-08-01 | 560,000 |
| 2007-09-01 | 150,000 |
| 2007-10-01 | 480,000 |
| 2007-11-01 | -140,000 |
| 2007-12-01 | -250,000 |
| 2008-01-01 | -790,000 |
| 2008-02-01 | -330,000 |
| 2008-03-01 | -480,000 |
| 2008-04-01 | -260,000 |
| 2008-05-01 | -730,000 |
| 2008-06-01 | -610,000 |
| 2008-07-01 | -640,000 |
| 2008-08-01 | -650,000 |
| 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 | 2,460,000 |
| 2011-02-01 | 2,630,000 |
| 2011-03-01 | 2,430,000 |
| 2011-04-01 | 2,500,000 |
| 2011-05-01 | 2,590,000 |
| 2011-06-01 | 2,670,000 |
| 2011-07-01 | 3,110,000 |
| 2011-08-01 | 2,520,000 |
| 2011-09-01 | 2,510,000 |
| 2011-10-01 | 2,540,000 |
| 2011-11-01 | 2,510,000 |
| 2011-12-01 | 2,470,000 |
| 2012-01-01 | 2,780,000 |
| 2012-02-01 | 2,540,000 |
| 2012-03-01 | 2,530,000 |
| 2012-04-01 | 2,890,000 |
| 2012-05-01 | 2,480,000 |
| 2012-06-01 | 2,240,000 |
| 2012-07-01 | 2,770,000 |
| 2012-08-01 | 2,830,000 |
| 2012-09-01 | 2,690,000 |
| 2012-10-01 | 2,130,000 |
| 2012-11-01 | 2,480,000 |
| 2012-12-01 | 2,060,000 |
| 2013-01-01 | 2,340,000 |
| 2013-02-01 | 2,690,000 |
| 2013-03-01 | 3,130,000 |
| 2013-04-01 | 2,880,000 |
| 2013-05-01 | 2,740,000 |
| 2013-06-01 | 2,580,000 |
| 2013-07-01 | 2,860,000 |
| 2013-08-01 | 3,010,000 |
| 2013-09-01 | 3,130,000 |
| 2013-10-01 | 3,810,000 |
| 2013-11-01 | 3,360,000 |
| 2013-12-01 | 3,550,000 |
| 2014-01-01 | 3,420,000 |
| 2014-02-01 | 3,200,000 |
| 2014-03-01 | 2,840,000 |
| 2014-04-01 | 3,670,000 |
| 2014-05-01 | 3,410,000 |
| 2014-06-01 | 3,320,000 |
| 2014-07-01 | 3,170,000 |
| 2014-08-01 | 3,260,000 |
| 2014-09-01 | 3,580,000 |
| 2014-10-01 | 3,060,000 |
| 2014-11-01 | 3,030,000 |
| 2014-12-01 | 3,230,000 |
| 2015-01-01 | 2,860,000 |
| 2015-02-01 | 3,110,000 |
| 2015-03-01 | 3,330,000 |
| 2015-04-01 | 3,140,000 |
| 2015-05-01 | 2,830,000 |
* 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 Current Population Survey public data series