Record 90,473,000 no Longer in Labor Force

A record 90,473,000 Americans no longer work.

The new figures, released from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, show a dramatic rise in the number of Americans who exited the labor force, climbing from 89,957,000 in July to 90,473,000 in August.

The labor force participation rate is now at a 34-year low.

To be included in the Labor Department’s calculations a person must be 16 years or older, a civilian, not in an institution (such as prison), and someone who has not looked for a job in the last four weeks.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population is an estimated 313.9 million.