Question about Empstat variable in NHIS

Hi-I’m trying to figure out how to code unemployed in the empstat variable question. I see that there is a response category for “not employed” and “not in the labor force”. Would these respondents be considered unemployed?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies persons as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. People who are not in the labor force are defined as those who are neither employed nor unemployed.

However, depending on your research question it may be more appropriate for you to combine persons who are unemployed and not in the labor force into a single category.

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