Hey dumbazz. The question was, "Why are 97 million Americans not participating in the workforce". Perhaps not the question he wanted to ask but it was the question asked, so I answered it. It is a fact that there are more than 100 million Americans who are either 14 or younger, 65 or older. Are you trying to suggest that there is another 97 million out there who meet this definition? "The participation rate is a measure of the active portion of an economy's labor force. It refers to the number of people 16-64 who are either employed or are actively looking for work."
From factcheck.org
Republicans have tried to temper the latest jobs report — which showed a gain of nearly 300,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dipping to 5.5 percent — by noting that the labor force participation rate has continued to decline. But in at least two instances, the claims have gone too far.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham said the labor participation rate “is at an all-time low.” That’s not accurate. It was lower between 1948 and 1978.
- Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus blamed the shrinking participation rate on “the Obama economy,” but economists say most of the decline, which has been happening for more than a decade, is due to demographics, including the trend of baby boomers reaching retirement age and deciding to no longer work.
Structural Changes to Participation Rate
From 2006 to 2016, the U.S. civilian labor force participation rate has hovered in the 62 to 67 range, with a fairly consistent decrease in the participation rate since 2009. The decline in the participation rate has been attributed to structural changes and not the overall health of the economy. This structural change in the amount of people actively seeking work has occured due to retiring baby boomers, a decline in working women, and more people deciding to attend college.