Where you get that figure?

Actually about 40% according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which turns that data over to Federal Reserve Bank

BLS report yesterday is 62.7% labor participation rate = 37.3% without work.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M01 Results

FRED shows 40% for employment population rate here

Employment-Population Ratio

Graph and download economic data for Employment-Population Ratio (EMRATIO) from Jan 1948 to Jan 2026 about employment-population ratio, civilian, 1...

That number has never exceeded 68% in the last 75 years, and includes individuals of retirement age.

Your comment “working age” population is a bit misleading as the labor force participation rate includes 80 year olds whom live at home but I wouldn’t consider them “working age”

Thats not true. Labor Force does NOT include people who are retired/not looking for work, inmates, armed forces, correctional institutions or mental health care facilities

You’re mistaken, The labor force participation rate is calculated as: (Labor Force ÷ Civilian Noninstitutional Population) x 100 The civilian noninstitutional population excludes the following: active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces people confined to, or living in, institutions or facilities such as prisons, jails, and other correctional institutions and detention centers residential care facilities such as skilled nursing homes Included in the civilian noninstitutional population are citizens of foreign countries who reside in the United States but do not live on the premises of an embassy. The civilian non institutionalized population does not exclude people not looking for work nor non institutionalized elderly/retired persons

In addition to these persons included in the denominator, active duty military are not included in the labor force, which adds a group of individuals to the numerator- ie- the idea that 37% of the working age population just isn’t is misleading

I and many, many people I know are "unemployed". We work more and make more $ than your average american. Just saying