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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS) provides a wealth of information on the nation’s labor force including data on the employed, unemployed, and those not in the labor force. Key CPS measures are the unemployment rate, labor force participation rate, and employment-population ratio.

Explore CPS topics to learn about people’s work and job search activity and various demographic characteristics.

Notices

  • January 2026 CPS estimates will be revised to incorporate updated population controls with the release of February data on March 6, 2026. Read More »
  • Questions and answers on the 2025 federal government shutdown impact on the Current Population Survey Read More »

Charts

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Latest Numbers

RSS
Seasonally Adjusted

Unemployment Rate: 4.3% in Jan 2026 Historical Data

Change in Unemployment Level: -141,000 in Jan 2026 Historical Data

Change in Employment Level: +528,000 in Jan 2026 Historical Data

Change in Civilian Labor Force Level: +387,000 in Jan 2026 Historical Data

Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate: 62.5% in Jan 2026 Historical Data

Employment-Population Ratio: 59.8% in Jan 2026 Historical Data

Annual Averages

Unemployment Rate: 4.3% for 2025 Historical Data

Unemployment Level: 7,314,000 for 2025 Historical Data

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Videos

Understanding BLS Unemployment Statistics

Learn how the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the unemployment rate.

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News Releases

Payroll employment rises by 130,000 in January; unemployment rate changes little at 4.3%

02/11/2026

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 130,000 in January, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.3 percent. Job gains occurred in health care, social assistance, and construction, while federal government and financial activities lost jobs.
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Full-time wage and salary workers median weekly earnings are $1,204 in 2025

01/28/2026

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 121.5 million full-time wage and salary workers were $1,204 in 2025.
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Next Release

The Employment Situation for February 2026 is scheduled to be released on March 6, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

See the CPS release calendar for a schedule of news releases on other topics.

Publications

The Economics Daily

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27.1 percent of people with a work-limiting difficulty participated in the labor force in July 2024

In July 2024, 30.7 million people ages 16 to 75 had a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, representing 12.4 percent of the civilian noninstitutional population in this age group. Of those with a work-limiting health condition or difficulty, about one-half had a disability (15.8 million). read more »

BLS Reports

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Highlights of women’s earnings in 2024

This report compares data for women and men who usually work full time, with sections focusing on characteristics such asage, race and ethnicity, education, occupation, and more. read more »

Beyond the Numbers

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Golden years: older Americans at work and play

This Beyond the Numbers article uses data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to provide insights into the labor force participation and activities of older individuals. read more »

Monthly Labor Review

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A comparison of hours of work at home estimates between the Current Population Survey and the American Time Use Survey

This article analyzes the accuracy of telework estimates in the Current Population Survey by comparing these estimates with responses from the American Time Use Survey from October 2022 to December 2023. read more »

Spotlight on Statistics

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Unemployment Duration in the Pandemic: A Look at Jobseeker Demographics

During the pandemic, median unemployment duration was highest in 2021, with a duration of 16.5 weeks nationwide. However, unemployment duration varied by state, with durations ranging from 4.9 weeks (South Dakota) to 30.1 weeks (Nevada) in 2021. In 2023, when the national median unemployment duration was 8.9 weeks, state figures ranged from 4.3 weeks (Nebraska and South Dakota) to 17.5 weeks (the District of Columbia). read more »