A recent survey of U.S. adults ages 20 to 54 who are out of the labor force provides a glimpse into the challenges employers face in seeking to expand their talent pools.

Notably, 72% of the 2,165 nonworking adults surveyed by Artemis Strategy Group and the Bipartisan Policy Center said that either caregiving responsibilities or personal health issues were their main reasons for not seeking work. That share included more than one-third who said they were caring for children and another one-third who were caring for other family members.

Adults ages 25 to 54 form a population termed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as “prime-age” adults; the Federal Reserve estimates that close to 20% of prime-age adults are not in the labor force, meaning they are not currently employed and are not looking for work. This large contingent — approximately 24 million Americans, according to BPC, which expanded the scope of its analysis to include adults ages 20 to 24 — presents a challenging situation for employers as they navigate a lack of available talent in some sectors.

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