Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides a comprehensive body of data on the labor force, employment, unemployment, and persons not in the labor force.
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Employment Situation of Veterans (HTML ) (PDF )
Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-born Workers (HTML ) (PDF )
Union Members (HTML ) (PDF )
Employment Characteristics of Families (HTML ) (PDF )
College Enrollment and Work Activity of High School Graduates (HTML ) (PDF )
Summer Employment and Unemployment Among Youth (HTML ) (PDF )
Work Experience of the Population (HTML ) (PDF )
Other
Volunteering in the United States (HTML ) (PDF )
Computer and Internet Use at Work (HTML ) (PDF )
Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements (HTML ) (PDF )
Worker Displacement (HTML ) (PDF )
Employee Tenure (HTML ) (PDF )
Work At Home (HTML ) (PDF )
Workers on Flexible and Shift Schedules (HTML ) (PDF )
Reports and Summaries
Archived
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Most Requested Statistics --Select from lists of the most popular labor force statistics .
Create Customized Tables (one screen) --this application requires a Java-enabled browser. Choose the data you want from BLS databases on a simple, one-screen form. .
Historical data for series in the selected news releases from the Current Population Survey Series Report --Already know the series identifier for the statistic you want? Use this shortcut to retrieve your data. Flat files FTP Site --For those who want it all. Download a flat file of the entire database or large subset of the database .
Back to Top Tables Created by BLS:
Tables from Employment and Earnings
Annual averages - Household Data
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, 1942 to date (TXT ) (PDF )
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, 1973 to date (TXT ) (PDF )
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race (TXT ) (PDF )
Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by age and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex, age, and race (TXT ) (PDF )
Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex, age and detailed ethnic group (TXT ) (PDF )
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 years and over by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed and unemployed full- and part-time workers by age, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EMPLOYED
Employed persons by occupation, sex, and age (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons by occupation, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons by sex, occupation, class of worker, and full- or part-time status, and race (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed Hispanic or Latino workers by sex, occupation, class of worker, and full- or part-time status, and detailed ethnic group (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons in nonagricultural industries by age, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons in agriculture and nonagricultural industries by age, sex, and class of worker (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons in nonagricultural industries by sex and class of worker (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons by industry, sex, race, and occupation (TXT ) (PDF )
Employed persons by detailed industry, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ( TXT ) (PDF )
Persons at work in agriculture and nonagricultural industries by hours of work (TXT ) (PDF )
Persons at work 1 to 34 hours in all and nonagricultural industries by reason for working less than 35 hours and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
Persons at work in nonagricultural industries by class of worker and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
Persons at work in nonagricultural industries by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, marital status, and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
Persons at work by occupation, sex and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNEMPLOYED
Unemployed persons by marital status, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, age, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by occupation and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by industry, class of worker, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, sex, and age (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, sex, age, and duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed total and full-time workers by duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, marital status, and duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed persons by occupation, industry, and duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed jobseekers by sex, age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and active jobsearch methods used (TXT ) (PDF )
Unemployed jobseekers by sex, reason for unemployment, and active jobsearch methods used (TXT ) (PDF )
PERSONS NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE
Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
MULTIPLE JOBHOLDERS
Multiple jobholders by selected demographic and economic characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
WEEKLY EARNINGS DATA
Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
Median weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by detailed occupation and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
UNION AFFILIATION DATA
Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by selected characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by union affiliation and selected characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by occupation and industry (TXT ) (PDF )
Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by union affiliation, occupation and industry (TXT ) (PDF )
MINIMUM WAGE DATA
Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage, by selected characteristics(TXT ) ( PDF )
Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage, by occupation and industry(TXT ) ( PDF )
EMPLOYEE ABSENCES DATA
Absences from work of employed full-time wage and salary workers by age and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Absences from work of employed full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and industry (TXT ) (PDF )
Monthly Household Data
HISTORICAL
A-1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over, prior years to date (TXT ) (PDF )
A-2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, recent years to date (TXT ) (PDF )
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
Employment Status
A-3. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex and age, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-4. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by race, sex, age, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-5. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 years and over by educational attainment, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-6. Employed and unemployed full- and part-time workers by sex and age, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Employed
A-7. Employed persons by class of worker and part-time status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-8. Employed persons by age, sex, and marital status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Unemployed
A-9. Unemployed persons by age, sex, and marital status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-10. Unemployment rates by age, sex, and marital status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-11. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
A-12. Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
Employment Status
A-13. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race (TXT ) (PDF )
A-14. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by age and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
A-15. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by race, sex, age, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
A-16. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by school enrollment, educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
A-17. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 years and over by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
A-18. Employed and unemployed full- and part-time workers by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Employed
A-19. Employed persons by occupation, sex, and age (TXT ) (PDF )
A-20. Employed persons by occupation, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
A-21. Employed persons by industry and occupation (TXT ) (PDF )
A-22. Employed persons in agriculture and related and in nonagricultural industries by age, sex, and class of worker (TXT ) (PDF )
A-23. Employed persons in nonagricultural industries by sex and class of worker (TXT ) (PDF )
A-24. Persons at work in agriculture and related and in nonagricultural industries by hours of work (TXT ) (PDF )
A-25. Persons at work 1 to 34 hours in all and in nonagricultural industries by reason for working less than 35 hours and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
A-26. Persons at work in nonagricultural industries by class of worker and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
A-27. Persons at work in nonagricultural industries by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, marital status, and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
A-28. Persons at work in by occupation, sex, and usual full- or part-time status (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Unemployed
A-29. Unemployed persons by marital status, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, age, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
A-30. Unemployed persons by occupation and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
A-31. Unemployed persons by industry and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
A-32. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, sex, and age (TXT ) (PDF )
A-33. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
A-34. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, sex, age, and duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
A-35. Unemployed total and full-time workers by duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
A-36. Unemployed persons by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, marital status, and duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
A-37. Unemployed persons by occupation, industry, and duration of unemployment (TXT ) (PDF )
PERSONS NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE
A-38. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
MULTIPLE JOBHOLDERS
A-39. Multiple jobholders by selected demographic and economic characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
Quarterly Household Data
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
Employment Status
D-1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex and age, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by race, sex, age, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-3. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 years and over by educational attainment, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-4. Employed and unemployed full- and part-time workers by sex and age, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Employed
D-5. Employed persons by class of worker and part-time status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-6. Employed persons by age, sex, and marital status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Unemployed
D-7. Unemployed persons by age, sex, and marital status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-8. Unemployment rates by age, sex, and marital status, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-9. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
D-10. Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted (TXT ) (PDF )
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
Employment Status
D-11. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex, age, and race (TXT ) (PDF )
D-12. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex, age, and detailed ethnic group (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Employed
D-13. Employed persons by sex, occupation, class of worker, full- or part-time status, and race (TXT ) (PDF )
D-14. Employed Hispanic or Latino workers by sex, occupation, class of worker, and full- or part-time status, and detailed ethnic group (TXT ) (PDF )
D-15. Employed persons by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Characteristics of the Unemployed
D-16. Unemployment rates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
D-17. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
D-18. Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (TXT ) (PDF )
Weekly Earnings Data
D-19. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
D-20. Median weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics (TXT ) (PDF )
D-21. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex (TXT ) (PDF )
Back to Top Publications and Other Documentation:
NEW Monthly Employment Situation Report: Quick Guide to Methods and Measurement Issues Recent BLS analyses of CPS data How the Government Measures Unemployment NEW Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force Series (from the January 2008 Employment and Earnings, PDF 59 KB)Several major changes affecting the Current Population Survey (household) data in January 2003 Technical notes to household survey data published in Employment and Earnings
Introduction (Relationship and comparability with establishment and other surveys) (PDF 19K)
Collection and Coverage, Concepts and Definitions, Historical Comparability and Estimating Methods (PDF 102K)
Seasonal adjustment (PDF 26K)
Occupational and Industry Classification BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 1, Labor Force Data Derived from the Current Population Survey Current Population Survey Design and Methodology (Technical Paper 66) (PDF 3.19 MB, 175 printed pages). Previous issues also available (Technical Paper 63 Revised) (PDF 3.11MB, 228 printed pages) and (Technical Paper 63 - original version) (PDF 2.18MB, 218 printed pages)
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on BLS Data Collection and Estimation A Test of Methods for Collecting Racial and Ethnic Information Expansion of the Current Population Survey Sample Effective July 2001," from Employment and Earnings, August 2001, pp. 3-7. (PDF 19 KB, 5 printed pages)
Back to Top Related Links:
Other BLS Programs
Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the CES survey (National) --monthly national data by detailed industry on employment, hours, and earnings of workers on the payrolls of nonfarm establishments .Local Area Unemployment Statistics --monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor force data for Census regions and divisions, States, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities, by place of residence .National Longitudinal Surveys --several surveys gathering information at multiple points in time about the labor market and life experiences of six groups of American men, women, and youth .Occupational Employment Statistics --data on employment and wages for over 800 occupations and for about 400 nonfarm industries for the nation, plus occupational data for States and metropolitan areas .
Other Useful Links
Latest Numbers
Seasonally Adjusted
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% in Jun 2008
Change in Unemployment Level: +12,000 in Jun 2008
Change in Employment Level: -155,000 in Jun 2008
Change in Civilian Labor Force Level: -144,000 in Jun 2008
Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate: 66.1% in Jun 2008
Employment-Population Ratio: 62.4% in Jun 2008
Annual Averages
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% for 2007
Unemployment Level: 7,078,000 for 2007
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