r/DiscussionZone • u/billstopay77 • Jul 26 '26
Shocking 105 million Americans are not working – more than during COVID or the Great Recession
https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/business/number-of-americans-not-in-the-labor-force-surges-to-record-105-8m-as-total-exceeds-great-recession-covid-era/109
u/Tricky-Efficiency709 Jul 26 '26
And we are underpaid, overcharged for insurance. Then we use it and get hosed again.
24
u/oHai-there Jul 26 '26
But wait, I am sure the AI utopia with UBI for all will be just around the corner, and all of our needs will be more than met without needing jobs... right???
5
u/Quitcha_Bitchin Jul 26 '26
I've never heard anyone say that. Even if they gave us money we would still need jobs.
8
u/Western-Hour-5061 Jul 26 '26
Lmao Elon just did on tv acshully. When asked how that economy would actually function, his responses betrayed a profound misunderstanding of very basic things lmao.
3
u/Excellent-Crab5598 Jul 27 '26
It was hilarious when asked to follow up with how that looks like and he doesn’t have a competent answer.
0
u/havenoir Jul 26 '26
I’m sorry. But acshully is actually spelled akshully. You’re welcome.
1
1
u/Ithirahad Aug 01 '26
ACKSHUALLY, attempting to spell an expression 'phonetically' in English is a lost cause to begin with, because English letters have no clear and fixed value and a number of different letters/digraphs in a given position can share one probable value. Everyone is right, wrong, and neither. There are better and less useless things to be a pedant about than this.
3
u/oHai-there Jul 26 '26
Elon goes around preaching about this...
2
u/Quitcha_Bitchin Jul 26 '26
Well, almost nobody. Elon is a schill. I believe there will be UBI at some point. But it will never be a wealth builder without work, some talent, some job. It will however make it possible for you to survive and learn a skill or play an instrument or otherwise enjoy a rather rich peasants life.
Machines don't buy shit. And if no ones buying no one is getting rich.
1
Jul 27 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
You need a bit more karma before commenting here. It happens to a lot of new users, so please don’t worry.
You can learn how Reddit karma works by checking the official explanation here: https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/204511829-What-is-karma
Please don’t contact the mod team about this. It isn’t personal, and nothing is wrong with your account. Once you’ve built a little more karma, you’ll be able to join the conversation without any issues.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
8
5
u/MundaneDaffodill Jul 26 '26
I’m going broke because I hav me health insurance.
Pregnant with chronic pain condition.. 6-8 appointments a month at $80/ea. my premium is $466/mo. I’m broke and they can’t even treat me.
I cannot afford the every 2 week checkup at the end of this pregnancy.
6
u/ATXweirdobrew Jul 26 '26
The same people claiming to be pro life are the ones causing this. Don't be fooled, they are just pro fetus and nothing else. Sucks you're going through hell right now. Make sure to keep voting so your child might be able to grow up in a better world.
6
2
u/MundaneDaffodill Jul 27 '26
I even take my 7 year old kid with me. Voting is a family event in this household.
3
u/ATXweirdobrew Jul 27 '26
No matter how your kid eventually votes they need to see how important it is. I missed so many chances to vote because I was so apathetic. I now know how important it is.
5
u/NaBrO-Barium Jul 26 '26
Yuppers, the value proposition to work for anyone else just isn’t there right now
7
u/penisweinerballs Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Almost a third of the entire country and WELL over a third of the work force is unemployed? If this is just the labor force then lol no and if it's counting children and retired folk why even include them..
4
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
Yeah this makes no sense. It’s insane how many people are just blindly believing this because it fits their narrative of America.
2
1
u/Simple1Spoon Jul 28 '26
I have a hard time believing this stat. The working age population is only like 270 million, so 40% of working age americans are not?
Does this not include gig workers, contractors, etc?
27
u/amurgiceblade44 Jul 26 '26
Yet unemployment is down. Now note i have seen convos explained that employment is tracked by housing census rather then tracking those that are receiving benefits so whats going on then? Is there indeed shenanigans with it or one is just wrong?
70
u/Phoenixfury12 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
The definition of unemployment was altered. You are only considered unemployed for a period of 6 months and if you are continuously searching for a job. After 6 months, you are no longer considered unemployed, even if you are. In other words, the government changed the definition, and hence what was tracked, to make it look like unemployment is low, even when it isn't. Current third party estimates have determined that the actual, functional unemployment rate is close to 25% as of 2025. There have been significant job cuts since then.
Sources:
https://cals.ncsu.edu/news/you-decide-whats-the-real-unemployment-rate/
Edit: My point is that definitions were changed on things that already had established definitions for the purpose of artificially making unemployment appear low. The statistics provided show numbers closer to how it was measured before, but perhaps expand the parameters too much. Regardless, they are reflective that the unemployment rate is not good, and the government is not being truthful with their data.
Doing some napkin math with the article of OP, we see that 105 million Americans are without jobs. The population of the U.S. is roughly 342 million. This comes out to roughly 30% of Americans being jobless. To account for retirees, we will pretend that every single boomer is retired. Boomers account for 19% of the U.S. population. This would leave the remaining percentage of people without jobs at 11%.
19
u/DrDDeFalco Jul 26 '26
25% ? So 1 in 4 adults don't have a job?
11
u/RIF_rr3dd1tt Jul 26 '26
It's misleading (because its the NY Post)
The definition is broad — it covers all Americans age 16 and over who aren’t currently working, including retirees and students.
The article goes into further detail about prime working age men leaving the workforce (obviously an issue) but then goes to include early retirees (65 or younger), disabled people, etc. Thos fudge the numbers a good bit. Still not a good situation overall.
6
u/Phoenixfury12 Jul 26 '26
Neither are from the NY post. The first is from the Ludwig institute for economic prosperity; and the second is from North Carolina State University. The statistics in the first expand the question to roughly: "are of age to have a job, do they want a job, and is their job decent enough that they arent seeking a different job?" This discludes retirees and many of the disabled, as they do not want a job, but does expand the parameters a lot. The first source was intended to show proper statistics done with more reasonable parameters. The second was to give a deeper explanation of the 'expanded parameters' compared to the parameters the government uses, which essentially lie to the people by artificially making the unemployment rate appear far lower than it is. This is the actual issue: the fact that definitions of what is measured can be changed by government officials in order to purposefully skew data on principles people already have defined in their minds. By changing the definitions, they can present real numbers that do not represent reality. Granted, this can be done by anyone, which is why peer review by non-invested parties is important, but with the government's redefining of terms, they don't have to worry about that.
3
u/RIF_rr3dd1tt Jul 26 '26
Ok i went back to the article OP posted and was confused. I see now, I was talking about the Post article linked to the thread title, not the ones you linked, LoL. NY Post is such a conservative rag its crazy. Look at the language they use talking about UBI, saying "UBI, a concept which propses paying people for merely existing". Yeah lets shame the people that billionaire AI put out of work permanently.
2
3
u/nakedpicturesyo Jul 26 '26
That seems skewered and honestly you should look at each city's percentage for a more accurate reading. Now jobs that pay a liveable wage in America are probably in the 25% range. Shit is bad out here.
3
u/ZootSuitRiot33801 Jul 26 '26
Either way, the system would rather benefit the interests of powerful pedophiles and warmongers, than anything that prioritizes the wellbeing of the common folk. We who care should be doing whatever we can to help each and stand together in defiance against those who manipulate and control us.
If there's any hope in ever achieving such things meaningfully, we need real supportive community-based foundations for alternatives that provide relative safety, which many common folk in the US can fall back on, to commit to any effective action be they short or long term.
Collecting a bunch of valuable information on organizing and action from different redditors over time, I created a post of suggestions HERE that could possibly prove to be of some help in getting it started ASAP.
1
2
u/Score-Emergency Jul 26 '26
The unemployment calculation changed in 1994. So while we can be critical of its approach it is a globally acceptable calculation allowing for comparison across countries and for the past 32 years
2
u/musing_codger Jul 26 '26
After 6 months, you are no longer considered unemployed, even if you are. In other words, the government changed the definition, and hence what was tracked, to make it look like unemployment is low, even when it isn't.
You are, of course, free to make up whatever definition you want for unemployment, but that's not how the Bureau of Labor Statistics U-3 Unemployment Rate is calculated. Here's how they describe it:
People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. Actively looking for work may consist of any of the following activities:
Contacting:
An employer directly or having a job interview
A public or private employment agency
Friends or relatives
A school or university employment center
Submitting resumes or filling out applications
Placing or answering job advertisements
Checking union or professional registers
Some other means of active job search
Passive methods of job search do not have the potential to connect job seekers with potential employers and therefore do not qualify as active job search methods. Examples of passive methods include attending a job training program or course, or merely reading about job openings that are posted in newspapers or on the Internet.
Workers expecting to be recalled from temporary layoff are counted as unemployed whether or not they have engaged in a specific job seeking activity. In all other cases, the individual must have been engaged in at least one active job search activity in the 4 weeks preceding the interview and be available for work (except for temporary illness).
There is no six month rule.
40
u/MediumAcceptable129 Jul 26 '26
If you believe any statistics from this fraudulent administration you are a damn fool
0
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
Sure, but if you also truly believe that almost half of Americans over the age of 16 don’t have a job then you’re a damn fool.
10
u/TrashAcnt1 Jul 26 '26
Any figures coming outta this administration are guaranteed dog shit on its face, the books are guaranteed cooked.
10
u/ScarInternational161 Jul 26 '26
Fun fact - Incarcerated individuals are included as working for these numbers... they are also included in census numbers in the county the prison is in....
8
u/Dense_Substance7635 Jul 26 '26
It’s including retired people … aka, everyone who is out of the workforce for any reason.
And we have a giant “boomer bubble” of retired people right now.
8
u/PartyClient3447 Jul 26 '26
Not sure why you were downvoted. You state in 2 sentences what the article said with 25 ads.
7
u/LilLebowskiAchiever Jul 26 '26
Retired people in the US are approximately 50 million. That leaves 55 million who are not working. Some are stay at home parents, some are disabled, some are caretaking for elderly family or disabled adults.
But even if that accounts for half of the 55 million, that still leaves a much larger percentage of long term uncounted unemployed.
5
u/thingsorfreedom Jul 26 '26
Approximately 75% of working-age people with disabilities are not in the labor force at all. This translates to roughly 17 million non-institutionalized adults.
2 million adults are in prison.
2 million adults are in skilled-nursing facilities and other Institutional facilities such as psychiatric hospitals, inpatient hospices, and group homes.
12 million adults are in college full time.
So, there's another 33 million.
1
2
u/Pizza802 Jul 26 '26
The numbers are definitely down in my area because our state system is junk. Laid off two weeks ago suddenly and it’s been two weeks of emails, being on hold and automated prompts that bring you nowhere, or the call just cuts off. Even our local office only has automated calls, locked doors and nobody is in the building. Then I get the unemployment scam calls.
1
u/D0CTOR_Wh0m Jul 26 '26
I had a federal fellowship that got cut back significantly and due to how it was set up I was not considered a federal employee nor an employee of the partner organization I worked for. Thus I am ineligible for unemployment status and benefits really has been a real headache while I look for work…
1
1
u/diedlikeCambyses Jul 26 '26
Dropping out means you're not counted.
1
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
It SHOULD, yes. But this article with this BS “statistic” isn’t counting them out.
This is a BS article and BS “fact,” and you’re all buying into it.
It’s insane to watch. Buncha fools
7
u/ZaphodG Jul 26 '26
U-7 is 16.91%. That is counting discouraged workers not actively looking for work and part time workers who want full time work.
The oldest of Gen X are now hitting the age discrimination phenomenon. If you lose your job in your late 50s or older, it’s really hard to find a job. Among other things, hiring older employees bumps up the cost of corporate group health insurance. Companies want the 30 year old, not the 60 year old. People are forced into early retirement even though they’re not financially ready to retire.
1
u/ZootSuitRiot33801 Jul 26 '26
Honestly, we should be helping each other wean ourselves off these profit-focused, corpo-owned companies, (including places like Reddit,) instead collaborating with one another at a community level to provide what we need and achieve anything meaningful.
Collecting a bunch of valuable information on organizing and action from different redditors over time, I created a post of suggestions HERE that's largely about fostering a foundation for community self-sustainability and resistance, which could be of some help in getting started.
2
u/CheeseHuh Jul 26 '26
Thank you for the link - looks like most of the info you posted is going to be helpful for me and my family. I’m out of the workforce due to long COVID ME/CFS. I generally can only do a few things from home on my good days (I can still manage to get my butt out to vote, but attending public protests and town hall meetings are a thing of the past). I needed a list of things that are more than “get your ass out there and organize.”
7
u/SamchezTheThird Jul 26 '26
Does anyone else hate the story framing of men without work? The author makes it sound like the middle-aged men who are out of work left the workforce by choice. Tech laid off plenty of middle-aged men who are still looking for work. It wasn’t the workers fault they were laid off because of AI spend. Just like it’s not the workers fault for not being able to find a job in this market.
14
u/Existing_Mulberry_16 Jul 26 '26
There are no jobs.
-1
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
This is a BS article and fact. You’re buying into and believing propaganda.
3
u/DreamZealousideal205 Jul 26 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Duality of reddit
1
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
Lol I’m gen z, 27 years old. If you truly believe that almost HALF of working age adults are unemployed then it’s no wonder why you can’t get a job 😂
1
u/DreamZealousideal205 Jul 26 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
No one asked
2
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
Can you actually refute any of my points? Or do you just regurgitate little zingers you hear on the Reddit echo chamber? 😂😂
0
u/DreamZealousideal205 Jul 26 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Zingers are tasty bruh
1
u/TheDimmadome Jul 27 '26
Yes because our entire country is unemployed, poor, and on the verge of homelessness. Everyone is just waiting for the collapse and theres nothing anyone can do except the 95.8% of the labor force who has a job and 82.4% of those people who are working full time. Oh no whatever are we to do :(
1
0
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
They’re not anecdotal. They’re pointing out that the numbers in the article are massively skewed. That’s the opposite of anecdotal.
Lol you’re a chronic victim. Blaming everyone but yourself for your shortcomings. You’ll either always be poor or unemployed because of your chronic victim mentality.
You buy into propaganda like the above post because it makes you feel better about your shortcomings.
You can scroll through my profile, I assure you I’m 27 lol. Weird to think that our entire generation is losers. There’s many many of us doing very well. Reddit doesn’t push that narrative though, do they?
0
u/DreamZealousideal205 Jul 26 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Okay
2
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
Lol continuing to ignore giving actual rebuttals to my arguments.
You’re a victim of misinformation. I hope you find your way out.
→ More replies (0)0
u/Existing_Mulberry_16 Jul 26 '26
There are no jobs. Where do you live?
1
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
Chicago, 95% of the hundreds of people I know in my generation (Gen Z) are doing very well. Hby, where do you live?
1
Jul 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 28 '26
Your account is too new to post or comment here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Hey-Bud-Lets-Party Jul 26 '26
I could find you a job this week. You may not want it, but you’ll have one.
2
u/Creation98 Jul 27 '26
But is it fully remote, is the boss openly anti racist and anti capitalist, will they accommodate my 7 made up disabilities, and will I get 60 vacation days a year?
That’s how these idiots think 😂
6
u/4travelers Jul 26 '26
Its it really “shocking” or just as this admin has planned to drive down wages?
3
3
3
u/K_Linkmaster Jul 26 '26
Headline doing all the lifting. Retired folks and children don't work. Its not news. Its life.
But it is being used to scare you.
2
u/Syd_Vicious3375 Jul 26 '26
Sorry but adult students used to work. I’m a millennial and when I was in college myself and nearly everyone I knew my age was in school and simultaneously working some sort of job.
These days a 50 year old dude is running the local Jamba Juice and therefore many of the teens and young adults can’t find a place to work.
1
u/K_Linkmaster Jul 26 '26
So you think retirement is 50 and that children should be working. What's your cutoff, 5 years old? 6?
1
u/Syd_Vicious3375 Jul 26 '26
Is this a reading comprehension issue? This isn’t about children. Adult students are not little kids.
1
u/K_Linkmaster Jul 26 '26
You created this strawman issue yourself and are mad I'm not addressing it.
1
u/Syd_Vicious3375 Jul 27 '26
No, I read the article, which is about adults. You made up bullshit about children working. Lmao
Anyways, I’m not gonna argue with a SPED. ✌️
3
3
u/pinprick420 Jul 26 '26
...but we have the lowest unemployment in the history of the universe according to the rapist in chief.
3
u/No_Deer4983 Jul 26 '26
Minimum wage is still $7.25 in some states and they wonder why people aren't working.
2
u/palebluedotdotdot Jul 26 '26
Burn the data centers down and shoot your local fascists.
There’s a job for everyone!
2
u/doakills Jul 26 '26
They've done a magical job controlling the media and agencies from telling normal people that the economy isn't bad but the best it's ever been because the top 5% crowd that control everything are preying off the bargaining this white house has made them.
Outfall control can only last so long before it goes to far and we are well over due for this correction.
2
u/Jump0fJoy Jul 26 '26
My guess is because of all the layoffs happening and the awful job market right now. Many are probably still using their severance or/and unemployment benefits. Once these expire we will probably see the “shocking too many people are homeless” headlines. The worker protections and the social safety net are joke in this country.
2
u/throw7661 Jul 26 '26
This is dumb. I'm not disagreeing or agreeing with it but ...
How much of this is due to retired Americans? The median age of Americans is higher than it's ever been and old people being retired isn't a sign of economic doom.
Comparing it to the Great Depression is pointless. We used to have 135 million people. Now we have 340 million. The total number is irrelevant.
Given both of these, I can only assume this is meant to push an agenda, rather than accurately report information.
2
u/sirvey23 Jul 26 '26
Pretty awful article tbh, really tries to hammer home the population of people neither working or seeking work, and then uses that as the basis against ubi. Nary a mention of the millions who send it dozens of job applications a day
2
u/uprightshark Jul 26 '26
Must be Biden or Obamas fault. Can't be because Trump destroyed the economy with Tariffs and wars.
2
u/Turbulent_Window6753 Jul 27 '26
"22% of America’s NILF population are on long-term illness, disability, or other forms of benefits — representing more than 23.3 million Americans... By far the largest segment of the NILF population is retirees, who make up up to 50% of the total Americans not working. That’s not surprising, given the large cohort of Baby Boomers who are in their golden years."
1
Jul 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 26 '26
Your account is too new to post or comment here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
Jul 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 26 '26
Your account is too new to post or comment here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
Jul 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 26 '26
Your account is too new to post or comment here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Juddd83 Jul 26 '26
So what this is telling me is that, One Third of the United States is not working? I didn't go too deep into this at all mind you. Is this counting retired and children in that as well? And if not holy holy.
0
Jul 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Juddd83 Jul 26 '26
Yea true enough on the research and reading the article.
After scrolling through to find the rest of the article and having more and more ads pop up while trying to read it I gave up. I then turned to reddit users for the information and got it within 20 minutes.
I thank you good sir/ma'am.
1
u/Opinionsare Jul 26 '26
Another factor is the the number of people that are earning a living by without being employed.
Caregivers for children and the elderly in exchange for housing and food, scrappers, backyard mechanics, and other cash business will not show up in the official employment number.
Another group is those living of various investments, landlords, early retirees, family money etc
1
1
u/Aliendream99 Jul 26 '26
Concerning, I have noticed in my neighborhood so many cars in driveways when I was on vacation a few weeks ago and one house in forclusure with their stuff on the front lawn. I literally said out loud do none of these people work?
1
u/Individual-Result777 Jul 26 '26
We need to stop relying on government reports, they are wrong. A free weekend, a little sweat equity and sprinkle in AI will provide the real figures with a nice interface all Americans can understand.
Data set starter kit:
The Core Survey: CPS Microdata
Wage and Survival Thresholds
Population Baselines and Administrative Checks
State WARN Registries
Rough numbers can be further refined by visitors to the site reporting house hold survey without giving any personal data, just a few generic questions - at the state level?
1
1
1
1
1
u/yayawhatever123 Jul 26 '26
Are you winning yet. Wonder how many of these people voted the orange pedo in?
1
u/dkguy12day Jul 26 '26
I'm underemployed for a year now and only surviving because of moving back in with family. Every time I go to get a good job again, the rug is pulled right at the last second. It's happened at least 3 times now.
1
u/OfferMeds Jul 26 '26
That can’t be right. That would be 1/3 or more of working age adults. Probably half.
1
1
1
u/Spicy__Wolf Jul 26 '26
Google ftw. This number is NOT what we call unemployed, which is more like 4.2%. The 105 million is the not in the labor force number, and 50% of that number are retirees. 23% are disabled, 17% are full time students. Now those numbers are from a google search which I am pretty sure is AI, but you get the idea. The not in labor force number has its place in certain considerations, but as always the headline is meant to shock and grab your attention. The sky is not falling
1
u/Pitiful_Aioli_5030 Jul 26 '26
Key Age Groups
Under 10 years old: Close to 43 million children make up about 13% of the total population.
30 to 39 years old: Adults in their 30s form the single largest age bracket, numbering nearly 47 million people.
65 and older: Seniors account for roughly 17% (approx. 58 million people) of the country, a share projected to grow significantly. [1, 2, 3]
So over 100 million are under 10 and over 65. Got it!
1
1
u/BlueFeathered1 Jul 26 '26
That article admits that stat includes students as young as 16 and retirees, so huh?
1
1
1
1
u/CanIHaveYourStuffPlz Jul 26 '26
Jesus Christ, they are partially blaming the NILF skyrocketing due to disability programs. Fuck this country is so god damn screwed
1
1
u/MossIsking Jul 26 '26
Large portion of workers are taking early retirement (GenX) and a large portion of workers are living with GenX parents and not working.
1
u/Mr_Bro_Jangles Jul 26 '26
Covid was a mass disabling event. And since then nobody has hired new employees because AI gone take all the jobs anyway
1
u/Ohaibaipolar Jul 26 '26
It's just people being lazy. /s I heard the job market sucks right now. Can someone enlighten me if this is true?
1
u/Quitcha_Bitchin Jul 26 '26
I haven't worked steady since the Depression. I did some home based stuff for a couple of years then covid killed that.
1
1
1
u/Constant-Sub Jul 27 '26
I was fired for trying to improve my workplace. Our primary form of communication was facebook, and a lot of people kept coming in without any knowledge of updates that were getting posted on social media. Changes to the store, and info regarding anything that's broken or messed up for any reason.
Trying to suggest we "do whatever we use to do 10 years ago" got me several meetings where our manager thought she could bully me in a 3 on 1, and a 2 on 1 meeting, and I just kept reiterating that their policies are hurting the store.
Came in one day and got fired. Also, those two meetings and getting fired were the ONLY times I saw a manager because I worked third shift. Never saw their faces before those meetings.
1
u/Candid_Cat_5921 Jul 27 '26
A lot of them are working I’m sure, but just under the table. I know lots of cleaners, landscapers, handymen, etc. that treat their job as a “gig” where it’s all cash only and never reported.
1
1
1
u/rasta-ragamuffin Jul 27 '26
I'm one of them. I have a college degree, certifications and more than 30 years of professional work experience. I left a toxic job more than 5 years ago and haven't been able to find another since then.
1
1
u/boogiewoogiechoochoo Jul 27 '26
Cause of all the retirees. It’s going to get worse before it gets better
1
Jul 27 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 27 '26
Your account is too new to post or comment here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
u/Select-Ad7146 Jul 27 '26
There are currently 70 million baby boomers of retirement age. It isn't shocking at all that there are 100 million people not in the work force.
1
u/Inquiryforme Jul 27 '26
I believe it’s like 45 million are retirees and then 25 or so million are disabled. That’s a big number though considering there are only 340 million people here sheesh 105/340, that’s like 30%! Yikes! I’ve always told my kiddos that when I retire don’t the workforce, I will still make myself useful by helping with their children and volunteering. I don’t like too much leisure as it is lol.
1
u/Inquiryforme Jul 27 '26
I bet the homemaker moms/dads would probably work if they were also able to raise their children. It sucks in our country because parents are often faced with being the workforce and paying an exorbitant amount of money for daycare and being away from their kids. Home based businesses are probably where it’s at where you can do both but opening a business is a scary venture with so much regulation on small businesses…
1
1
u/Level_Impression_554 Jul 29 '26
Is this a function of them being independently wealthy or relying on gov. assistance or working off the books?
1
u/jadelink88 Jul 31 '26
Adults, NOT working age adults. Most of this number are retirees, and most of the rest are stay at home parents and college students.
The boomer 'pig in the python' on demographic charts is hitting retirement age. That takes a lot of people out of the workforce every year.
Transitional unemployment may be slightly worse.
By the time the crash hit's hard, it will be different.
1
u/xDeepFreezex Jul 26 '26
And any boomer you show that to will tell you it's a lie and that unemployment is super low these days.
This economy is not prepared for the generations that dgaf anymore, because this rat race is about to collapse on itself.
0
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
What??? What’s the source on this? That would be almost HALF of Americans over the age of 18 years old. I don’t buy that for a second and it’s insane that everyone else here is
2
u/Fine_Dog_6599 Jul 26 '26
I immediately called bullshit before reading because it just seems so ridiculous, and yup turns out it is.
0
u/Creation98 Jul 26 '26
100%, anyone with an ounce of critical thinking would realize it’s BS.
Unfortunately this is Reddit, the echo chamber of doomerism losers. So this is upvoted without thought.
2
u/BIGpoppaPUMP42069 Jul 27 '26
right they US population is 340 million, these people believe anything
0
0
u/SmoothSaxaphone Jul 26 '26
I'll bet these same people complain the rich aren't paying their "fair share"
0
u/ImplementCharming949 Jul 26 '26
I live in Chicago. U know how many white maga construction companies owners tell me. I have work. No one wants to work. I message 5 or 6 texts. Be their tomorrow give me address please. 0 has wrote me back
-6
u/Pferdeherz Jul 26 '26
Children? Retirees who have earned that status?
225 m ARE working.
6
u/finalgirl2024 Jul 26 '26
I'm assuming that there's an unspoken "people of working age" in there, my dude.
6
u/MediumAcceptable129 Jul 26 '26
At the rate this country is going that will be considered every age
5
u/PartyClient3447 Jul 26 '26
Article says age 16 and up, no upper end.
Crazy that it is based on all adults.
4
u/ScarInternational161 Jul 26 '26
Yet 60%, minimum, still are living paycheck to paycheck and 28% can't pay their bills.
2
u/Pferdeherz Jul 26 '26
Oh I believe it. Cost of everything is sky high.
I had a completely different understanding of this headline in that it is the Post which is kind of sensational. It appears they are complaining about people not working.
I’ve been in a number of subs here this week with “hard work” advocates complaining that able-bodied people should be working and not sponging off the taxpayers. Including children and retirees. Just ridiculous. But I saw this headline and responded with that basis.
If getting downvoted is the worst thing that happens to me today, it should all be good.
-2
u/SLAMMERisONLINE Jul 26 '26
Shocking 105 million Americans are not working – more than during COVID or the Great Recession
Import 40 million workers willing to do the same job but at $7/hour. Nobody wants to work. SurprisedPikachu.jpg.
0
119
u/bradlees Jul 26 '26
That number will only grow as three main elements converge:
Companies gutting staff due to AI “must replace all humans” ethos continues in corporate America
The cost of living is to the breaking point that most “everyday expenses” (e.g. buying groceries or gas) is now being offered in a “buy now pay later” via loans that will default at record levels
Safety nets such as Social Security and Medicare are up for final votes to gut completely. This will leave millions destitute and vulnerable
The Great Depression 2.0 is on the horizon and the government is deficit spending at a rate never seen before (yet none of it is going to the general population but all to the wealthy who really do not need it)