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Article: Labor force.
- Article from:
- Occupational Outlook Quarterly
- Article date:
- December 22, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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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 active-duty military personnel or institutionalized workers, such as prison inmates.
The size of the labor force depends on two factors. The first factor is the size of the total population, which is determined by rates of birth, immigration, and death. The second factor is the labor force participation rate, which is the percent of the population that is working or is actively seeking employment.
These measures vary significantly by sex and by age, racial, and ethnic groups. Each group has varying birth and immigration ...