How many workers is the US missing? (2023)

How many people in the US don't want to work?

One of the stats was 45% don't want to work anymore, period,” said Chris Mullen, executive director of the UKG Workforce Institute. With co-workers leaving for new jobs and careers or to spend more time with family, remaining workers often feel underappreciated and overworked.

We hear every day from our member companies—of every size and industry, across nearly every state—they're facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs. Right now, the latest data shows that we have over 10 million job openings in the U.S.—but only around 6 million unemployed workers.

What's causing a labor shortage? This shortage is because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors like the “great resignation,” which both left 10 million job openings but only about 5 million unemployed workers to fill them, per the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

What's holding folks back from returning to the workforce and taking available jobs? Disruptions to schooling and child care are still keeping people who were working before the pandemic out of the workforce now. Chris Hossellman of Palo Alto, California, has two young kids.

Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected.

The No. 1 reason businesses struggle to fill open jobs is that wages are too low, according to a survey of more than 3,000 hourly workers conducted by employer payment platform Branch. Fear of exposure to Covid-19 at work came in second with 46% of the vote.

Immigrants are vital to the US economy and fill thousands of US jobs – jobs many Americas don't want to do. In 2020, the processing of legal immigrant worker visas stopped and only picked up towards the end of 2021.

China's Ministry of Education forecasts a shortage of nearly 30 million manufacturing workers by 2025, larger than Australia's population. On paper, labor is in no short supply: roughly 18% of Chinese ages 16-24 are unemployed.

People's reasons for not working vary. The single most common reason why prime-age Americans say they're not working right now is caregiving. More than 26 percent of nonworking Americans aren't working because they're taking care of relatives or a household. The second-most common reason is health.

By 2100, as much as two-thirds of the country could be out of the workforce and financially dependent on the remaining one-third, according to an estimate from Hetrick and his co-authors.

What will happen if the labor shortage continues?

If left unchecked, the U.S. worker shortage will lead to even higher inflation, reduced incomes, higher taxes and a smaller economy that will hurt all Americans. Policymakers need to expand education alternatives, encourage flexible work, end welfare without work and constrain out-of-control federal spending.

They're demanding more flexibility and remote work options and taking time to find positions that they'll enjoy. Buber says it's part of the reason companies are struggling to find labor.

Behind the five-decade low US unemployment rate of 3.5% lies a 2.6 million-person mystery. That's roughly how many more Americans should be working or looking for jobs if the economy's labor force participation rate was the same as before the Covid-19 pandemic.

One in four US workers say they have refused to comply with their employer's instruction to return to the office – and are willing to accept termination as a result.

But that could be easier said than done: a survey from careers service Zety asked more than 1,000 US workers what their work expectations will be going into 2023, and 60% said they would rather quit their job than return to their desks five days a week.

What is The Great Regret? The Great Regret is a relatively new term. But one that's already gained traction. It's quickly become synonymous with employees who left a job post-COVID but wish they hadn't.

Gen Zers, working parents and employees who have been with their company for less than five years are the most likely to switch jobs in early 2023, the report found. But which jobs will see the highest quit rates this year?

U.S. monthly number of job losers 2021-2022

In December 2022, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs in the United States stood at about 2.63 million.

Which states have a labor shortage?

The four most populous states in the nation — California, Texas, Florida, and New York — all have job openings rates at 6.3% or below. New York has the lowest job openings rate in the country at 5.4%. Since early 2022, the state's labor force participation rate rose to 60% by November.

For an array of reasons, including licensing obstacles, language issues and discrimination, many migrants are unable to put their skills to use in their new homes, and wind up in lower-paid, lower-skilled roles than the ones they previously held.

The INA allows the United States to grant up to 675,000 permanent immigrant visas each year across various visa categories. On top of those 675,000 visas, the INA sets no limit on the annual admission of U.S. citizens' spouses, parents, and children under the age of 21.

Reasons for not working

So why are 25 percent of prime-age Americans not working? For around one-fifth of nonworkers as of 2021, the answer's easy: They want a job but can't find one (the unemployed).

In the U.S. specifically, 50% of workers reported feeling stressed at their jobs on a daily basis, 41% as being worried, 22% as sad, and 18% angry.

Remember, it is totally normal to feel like you don't want to work. Take a mental health day.

85% of Employees Are Not Engaged in the Workplace

The study also reveals remarkable geographical differences – 33 percent of U.S employees are engaged at work – almost two times more than the global average. On the other hand, in Western Europe, only 10 percent of employees are engaged at work.