Fox's Baier Hypes 94 Million People Are “Not In Labor Force” In An Attempt To Undercut Stellar Jobs Report

Bret Baier Claims 94 Million Not In Labor Force, Fails To Note That Number Includes Students And Retired Americans

Fox News host Bret Baier claimed that 94 million Americans were “not in the labor force” in an attempt to dismiss the latest unemployment rate figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics November 2015 Jobs Report. But Baier failed to note that most of the 94 million includes retired people and students.

In the December 4 edition of his Fox News show, host Bret Baier reported that the U.S. economy gained 211 thousand jobs, but claimed that “it's important to note that the number of people without a job, not participating in the workforce is still over the 94 million mark for the fourth month in a row.”

BRET BAIER (HOST): Stocks surged today, fueled by a November jobs report that showed a gain of 211,000 positions. The unemployment rate remains at 5 percent, but it beat expectations, it's important to note the number of people without a job, not participating in the workforce is still over the 94 million mark for the fourth month in a row.

Baier's segment echoes right-wing media's false assertion that over 94 million Americans are unemployed without noting that the this figure includes millions of Americans who are not looking to enter the workforce.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those considered to be "not in the labor force" are “those who have no job and are not looking for one. Many who are not in the labor force are students or retired. Family responsibilities keep others out of the labor force”:

The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed. The remainder--those who have no job and are not looking for one--are counted as not in the labor force. Many who are not in the labor force are going to school or are retired. Family responsibilities keep others out of the labor force. Since the mid-1990s, typically fewer than 1 in 10 people not in the labor force reported that they want a job.