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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

See also PDF and XLSX versions of this table.

HOUSEHOLD DATA
ANNUAL AVERAGES
1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, 1949 to date
[Numbers in thousands]
YearCivilian noninstitutional populationCivilian labor forceNot
in
labor
force
TotalPercent
of
population
EmployedUnemployed
TotalPercent
of
population
Agri-
culture
Nonagri-
cultural
industries
NumberPercent
of
labor
force

Persons 16 years of age and over

1949

103,99461,28658.957,65155.47,65849,9933,6375.942,708

1950

104,99562,20859.258,91856.17,16051,7583,2885.342,787

1951

104,62162,01759.259,96157.36,72653,2352,0553.342,604

1952

105,23162,13859.060,25057.36,50053,7491,8833.043,093

1953

107,05663,01558.961,17957.16,26054,9191,8342.944,041

1954

108,32163,64358.860,10955.56,20553,9043,5325.544,678

1955

109,68365,02359.362,17056.76,45055,7222,8524.444,660

1956

110,95466,55260.063,79957.56,28357,5142,7504.144,402

1957

112,26566,92959.664,07157.15,94758,1232,8594.345,336

1958

113,72767,63959.563,03655.45,58657,4504,6026.846,088

1959

115,32968,36959.364,63056.05,56559,0653,7405.546,960

1960

117,24569,62859.465,77856.15,45860,3183,8525.547,617

1961

118,77170,45959.365,74655.45,20060,5464,7146.748,312

1962

120,15370,61458.866,70255.54,94461,7593,9115.549,539

1963

122,41671,83358.767,76255.44,68763,0764,0705.750,583

1964

124,48573,09158.769,30555.74,52364,7823,7865.251,394

1965

126,51374,45558.971,08856.24,36166,7263,3664.552,058

1966

128,05875,77059.272,89556.93,97968,9152,8753.852,288

1967

129,87477,34759.674,37257.33,84470,5272,9753.852,527

1968

132,02878,73759.675,92057.53,81772,1032,8173.653,291

1969

134,33580,73460.177,90258.03,60674,2962,8323.553,602

1970

137,08582,77160.478,67857.43,46375,2154,0934.954,315

1971

140,21684,38260.279,36756.63,39475,9725,0165.955,834

1972

144,12687,03460.482,15357.03,48478,6694,8825.657,091

1973

147,09689,42960.885,06457.83,47081,5944,3654.957,667

1974

150,12091,94961.386,79457.83,51583,2795,1565.658,171

1975

153,15393,77561.285,84656.13,40882,4387,9298.559,378

1976

156,15096,15861.688,75256.83,33185,4217,4067.759,991

1977

159,03399,00962.392,01757.93,28388,7346,9917.160,025

1978

161,910102,25163.296,04859.33,38792,6616,2026.159,659

1979

164,863104,96263.798,82459.93,34795,4776,1375.859,900

1980

167,745106,94063.899,30359.23,36495,9387,6377.160,806

1981

170,130108,67063.9100,39759.03,36897,0308,2737.661,460

1982

172,271110,20464.099,52657.83,40196,12510,6789.762,067

1983

174,215111,55064.0100,83457.93,38397,45010,7179.662,665

1984

176,383113,54464.4105,00559.53,321101,6858,5397.562,839

1985

178,206115,46164.8107,15060.13,179103,9718,3127.262,744

1986

180,587117,83465.3109,59760.73,163106,4348,2377.062,752

1987

182,753119,86565.6112,44061.53,208109,2327,4256.262,888

1988

184,613121,66965.9114,96862.33,169111,8006,7015.562,944

1989

186,393123,86966.5117,34263.03,199114,1426,5285.362,523

1990

189,164125,84066.5118,79362.83,223115,5707,0475.663,324

1991

190,925126,34666.2117,71861.73,269114,4498,6286.864,578

1992

192,805128,10566.4118,49261.53,247115,2459,6137.564,700

1993

194,838129,20066.3120,25961.73,115117,1448,9406.965,638

1994

196,814131,05666.6123,06062.53,409119,6517,9966.165,758

1995

198,584132,30466.6124,90062.93,440121,4607,4045.666,280

1996

200,591133,94366.8126,70863.23,443123,2647,2365.466,647

1997

203,133136,29767.1129,55863.83,399126,1596,7394.966,837

1998

205,220137,67367.1131,46364.13,378128,0856,2104.567,547

1999

207,753139,36867.1133,48864.33,281130,2075,8804.268,385

2000

212,577142,58367.1136,89164.42,464134,4275,6924.069,994

2001

215,092143,73466.8136,93363.72,299134,6356,8014.771,359

2002

217,570144,86366.6136,48562.72,311134,1748,3785.872,707

2003

221,168146,51066.2137,73662.32,275135,4618,7746.074,658

2004

223,357147,40166.0139,25262.32,232137,0208,1495.575,956

2005

226,082149,32066.0141,73062.72,197139,5327,5915.176,762

2006

228,815151,42866.2144,42763.12,206142,2217,0014.677,387

2007

231,867153,12466.0146,04763.02,095143,9527,0784.678,743

2008

233,788154,28766.0145,36262.22,168143,1948,9245.879,501

2009

235,801154,14265.4139,87759.32,103137,77514,2659.381,659

2010

237,830153,88964.7139,06458.52,206136,85814,8259.683,941

2011

239,618153,61764.1139,86958.42,254137,61513,7478.986,001

2012

243,284154,97563.7142,46958.62,186140,28312,5068.188,310

2013

245,679155,38963.2143,92958.62,130141,79911,4607.490,290

2014

247,947155,92262.9146,30559.02,237144,0689,6176.292,025

2015

250,801157,13062.7148,83459.32,422146,4118,2965.393,671

2016

253,538159,18762.8151,43659.72,460148,9767,7514.994,351

2017

255,079160,32062.9153,33760.12,454150,8836,9824.494,759

2018

257,791162,07562.9155,76160.42,425153,3366,3143.995,716

2019

259,175163,53963.1157,53860.82,425155,1136,0013.795,636

NOTE: Revisions to population controls and other changes can affect the comparability of labor force levels over time. In recent years, for example, updated population controls have been introduced annually with the release of January data. Information about historical comparability is online at https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#comp.

 

Last Modified Date: January 22, 2020