The labor force is
the number of people aged 16 or older who are either working or looking
for work. The labor force does not include members of the active-duty
military or institutionalized workers, such as prison inmates.
The size of the labor force depends on the population—determined by
birth rates, immigration rates, and death rates—and on the proportion
of the population working or actively seeking employment, which is known
as the labor force participation rate.
These measures vary significantly by age group, sex, racial group,
and ethnic group. Separate labor-force projections are developed for
each of these demographic categories.
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