Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What percentage of SNAP (food stamp) recipients are classified as unemployed vs not in labor force?
Executive Summary
The preponderance of evidence in the provided analyses shows most SNAP recipients are classified as “not in the labor force,” not “unemployed.” A study using 2019–2021 data reports roughly 59–63% not in the labor force and only ~6–12% unemployed across those years, while other analyses emphasize health barriers and long-term nonwork among many recipients [1] [2] [3]. Recent 2023–2025 summaries and reporting omit a simple unemployed vs. not-in-labor-force breakdown, making precise current percentages hard to state without new tabulations [4] [5] [6].
1. What advocates and studies actually claimed — the headline numbers that matter
The analyses supplied make three clear claims about SNAP participants’ labor status: first, a multi-year study found a clear majority of SNAP participants were “not in the labor force,” reporting 63.1% in 2019, 57.4% in 2020, and 59.4% in 2021, while unemployment among participants registered much lower (5.9% in 2019, 11.6% in 2020, and 6.4% in 2021) [1]. Second, a policy analysis of 2017–2019 data described an average where 38% of work-capable recipients were employed and 62% did not work at all, highlighting a cross-section with low work hours even among those counted as able-bodied [2]. Third, a qualitative study emphasized health and disability as primary reasons many SNAP participants report for not working, with health problems predominant for both younger and older groups likely pushed into nonparticipation in the labor force [3]. These are consistent, complementary claims: the numerical splits point to nonparticipation, while qualitative work explains why many are not seeking employment.
2. Why recent federal summaries don’t resolve the split — gaps in public reporting
More recent, high-level documents and news reporting from 2023–2025 do not present a neat unemployment vs. not-in-labor-force percentage for SNAP recipients, which limits direct comparison to the 2019–2021 study. The USDA’s Fiscal Year 2023 household characteristics report indicates 28% of households had earnings and 23% received SSI, but it does not offer a direct unemployment vs. not-in-labor-force breakdown for recipients [4]. Contemporary reporting about caseload size and eligibility changes likewise focuses on totals and subgroup shares — for example, proportions of households with children or disability — rather than labor-force status [5] [6]. The absence of a standard, recent tabulation explains why analysts rely on earlier studies to characterize employment status among SNAP recipients, and it creates space for divergent interpretations depending on which dataset or year one cites.
3. Explaining the differences: pandemic effects and population heterogeneity
The 2019–2021 window includes the pandemic year 2020, when unemployment surged generally, which helps explain the jump to 11.6% unemployed among SNAP participants that year in the cited study [1]. Beyond year-to-year volatility, the SNAP population is heterogeneous: some recipients are work-capable adults without dependents, others are elderly or disabled, and many are tied to SSI or have very low earnings; a 2023 snapshot found 20% of recipients had no income in the past month and nearly all others earned below 130% of poverty [6] [4]. This heterogeneity means aggregate percentages mask important subgroup differences — able-bodied adults subject to work rules look very different from households led by someone with a disability or retirement-age adults.
4. What explanations the analyses advance — health, hours, and program design
The supplied qualitative and quantitative studies converge on a common explanation: health and disability are major reasons people are out of the labor force, not simply idle unemployment [3]. The 2017–2019 analysis flags that many work-capable recipients nonetheless do not meet minimum-hour thresholds, with just 18% of childless able-bodied adults working 20+ hours weekly, suggesting underemployment and precarious work rather than traditional joblessness [2]. These findings point to policy-relevant distinctions: counting someone as unemployed implies they are actively seeking work; counting them as not in the labor force often reflects structural barriers — health, caregiving, lack of available hours — that work requirements alone may not address.
5. Bottom line for readers and what’s missing — the practical takeaway and needed data
The best-supported conclusion from the supplied materials is that the majority of SNAP recipients are classified as not in the labor force rather than unemployed, with prior studies showing roughly three-fifths not in the labor force versus single-digit-to-low-teen unemployment shares across 2019–2021 [1] [2] [3]. However, recent federal summaries from 2023–2025 don’t provide an updated, direct unemployed vs. not-in-labor-force split, so current exact percentages require new tabulations from USDA/ACS microdata [4] [5] [6]. Policymakers and journalists should request or produce standardized cross-year tables that separate work-capable adults, those with disabilities, and elders to clarify how much of the caseload reflects joblessness versus barriers like health or caregiving that remove people from the labor force.