It means they aren’t in the labor market as defined by DOL. The obvious, simple answer is that unskilled laborers or people with skills not valued or people ag

It means they aren’t in the labor market as defined by DOL. The obvious, simple answer is that unskilled laborers or people with skills not valued or people aging out of physical jobs have three paths: be supported by a partner, get on disability, or work off the books. The plethora of gig economy jobs makes it much easier to work and avoid taxes or formal works arrangements. People even sub out DoorDash jobs, etc. Faced with the prospect of making $20/hr in a warehouse or as a retail manager, you can make more money with casual labor. Also remember that with the big crackdowns on migrant labor, there’s big gaps in the labor force. If you get laid off from a retail job, you go get some roofing gigs and collect unemployment for awhile.