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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Current Population Survey > Home

Class of worker

Here you will find labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics by class of worker (wage and salary, self-employed, or unpaid family workers) from the Current Population Survey (CPS) as well as information about these data. The CPS covers the nation’s civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older.

Explore our data

Find monthly data on workers by class of worker from the Employment Situation news release

Table A-8: Employed people by class of worker and part-time status
Table A-9: Selected employment indicators (self-employed series)
Table A-14: Unemployed people by industry and class of worker, not seasonally adjusted
Select series from Table A-8 to retrieve historical data
Select series from Table A-9 to retrieve historical data
Select series from Table A-14 to retrieve historical data

Select time series by class of worker

Looking for additional analysis?

Search the data visualizations in the TED: The Economics Daily for class of worker or self-employed
Search our library of research by CPS staff for class of worker or self-employment

Understanding these data

What you need to know

What does "class of worker" mean?

In the CPS, class of worker distinguishes between different categories of employment. Conceptually, class of worker distinguishes those who work for themselves (self-employed) from those who work for someone else. Workers are categorized into one of the following groups:

Wage and salary workers, employed by a private-sector employer (including a nonprofit organization) or by a local, state, or federal government agency or entity
Self-employed workers, who work for profit or fees in their own business, profession, trade, or farm (including those with no profit or a loss)
Unpaid family workers, who worked without pay for a minimum of 15 hours a week in a business or farm owned by a family member

Questions about these data?

Does the federal government worker category include people in the military?

No. CPS data exclude all active-duty members of the Armed Forces. See the definition of civilian noninstitutional population.

How are federal workers on administrative leave counted in the CPS?

Federal workers on paid leave (including administrative leave) who did not work during the reference week and responded that they were temporarily absent from a job should be counted as employed. Workers who responded that they did not have a job should be counted as unemployed if they were actively looking for work, and not in the labor force if they were not actively looking. For more information, see question 17 in the BLS questions and answers page.