The Fact
BLS explicitly states that discouraged workers are not counted among the unemployed. These are people who want and are available for work and looked within the prior 12 months, but did not search in the most recent four weeks because they believed no suitable jobs were available or faced related discouragement.
What This Means
Someone can stop looking because the job market looks hopeless and statistically disappear from the official unemployment count rather than become “more unemployed.”
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPS Concepts and Definitions: https://www.bls.gov/cps/definitions.htm Accessed October 2, 2026.