Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, 1970‐2009 annual averages : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2010 Edition)

(Numbers in thousands)

Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, 1970–2009 annual averages
Year	Civilian noninstitutional population	Civilian labor force						Not in labor force
		Total	Percent of population	Employed		Unemployed
		Total	Percent of population	Total	Percent of population	Total	Percent of labor force
Total, both sexes
1970	137,085	82,771	60.4	78,678	57.5	4,093	4.9	54,315
1971	140,216	84,382	60.2	79,367	56.6	5,016	5.9	55,834
1972 (1)	144,126	87,034	60.4	82,153	57.0	4,882	5.6	57,091
1973 (1)	147,096	89,429	60.8	85,064	57.8	4,365	4.9	57,667
1974	150,120	91,949	61.3	86,794	57.8	5,156	5.6	58,171
1975	153,153	93,775	61.2	85,846	56.1	7,929	8.5	59,377
1976	156,150	96,158	61.6	88,752	56.8	7,406	7.7	59,991
1977	159,033	99,009	62.3	92,017	57.9	6,991	7.1	60,025
1978 (1)	161,910	102,251	63.2	96,048	59.3	6,202	6.1	59,659
1979	164,863	104,962	63.7	98,824	59.9	6,137	5.8	59,900
1980	167,745	106,940	63.8	99,303	59.2	7,637	7.1	60,806
1981	170,130	108,670	63.9	100,397	59.0	8,273	7.6	61,460
1982	172,271	110,204	64.0	99,526	57.8	10,678	9.7	62,067
1983	174,215	111,550	64.0	100,834	57.9	10,717	9.6	62,665
1984	176,383	113,544	64.4	105,005	59.5	8,539	7.5	62,839
1985	178,206	115,461	64.8	107,150	60.1	8,312	7.2	62,744
1986 (1)	180,587	117,834	65.3	109,597	60.7	8,237	7.0	62,752
1987	182,753	119,865	65.6	112,440	61.5	7,425	6.2	62,888
1988	184,613	121,669	65.9	114,968	62.3	6,701	5.5	62,944
1989	186,393	123,869	66.5	117,342	63.0	6,528	5.3	62,523
1990 (1)	189,164	125,840	66.5	118,793	62.8	7,047	5.6	63,324
1991	190,925	126,346	66.2	117,718	61.7	8,628	6.8	64,578
1992	192,805	128,105	66.4	118,492	61.5	9,613	7.5	64,700
1993	194,838	129,200	66.3	120,259	61.7	8,940	6.9	65,638
1994 (1)	196,814	131,056	66.6	123,060	62.5	7,996	6.1	65,758
1995	198,584	132,304	66.6	124,900	62.9	7,404	5.6	66,280
1996	200,591	133,943	66.8	126,708	63.2	7,236	5.4	66,647
1997 (1)	203,133	136,297	67.1	129,558	63.8	6,739	4.9	66,837
1998 (1)	205,220	137,673	67.1	131,463	64.1	6,210	4.5	67,547
1999 (1)	207,753	139,368	67.1	133,488	64.3	5,880	4.2	68,385
2000 (1)	212,577	142,583	67.1	136,891	64.4	5,692	4.0	69,994
2001	215,092	143,734	66.8	136,933	63.7	6,801	4.7	71,359
2002	217,570	144,863	66.6	136,485	62.7	8,378	5.8	72,707
2003 (1)	221,168	146,510	66.2	137,736	62.3	8,774	6.0	74,658
2004	223,357	147,401	66.0	139,252	62.3	8,149	5.5	75,956
2005	226,082	149,320	66.0	141,730	62.7	7,591	5.1	76,762
2006	228,815	151,428	66.2	144,427	63.1	7,001	4.6	77,387
2007	231,867	153,124	66.0	146,047	63.0	7,078	4.6	78,743
2008 (1)	233,788	154,287	66.0	145,362	62.2	8,924	5.8	79,501
2009	235,801	154,142	65.4	139,877	59.3	14,265	9.3	81,659
Women
1970	72,782	31,543	43.3	29,688	40.8	1,855	5.9	41,239
1971	74,274	32,202	43.4	29,976	40.4	2,227	6.9	42,072
1972 (1)	76,290	33,479	43.9	31,257	41.0	2,222	6.6	42,811
1973 (1)	77,804	34,804	44.7	32,715	42.0	2,089	6.0	43,000
1974	79,312	36,211	45.7	33,769	42.6	2,441	6.7	43,101
1975	80,860	37,475	46.3	33,989	42.0	3,486	9.3	43,386
1976	82,390	38,983	47.3	35,615	43.2	3,369	8.6	43,406
1977	83,840	40,613	48.4	37,289	44.5	3,324	8.2	43,227
1978 (1)	85,334	42,631	50.0	39,569	46.4	3,061	7.2	42,703
1979	86,843	44,235	50.9	41,217	47.5	3,018	6.8	42,608
1980	88,348	45,487	51.5	42,117	47.7	3,370	7.4	42,861
1981	89,618	46,696	52.1	43,000	48.0	3,696	7.9	42,922
1982	90,748	47,755	52.6	43,256	47.7	4,499	9.4	42,993
1983	91,684	48,503	52.9	44,047	48.0	4,457	9.2	43,181
1984	92,778	49,709	53.6	45,915	49.5	3,794	7.6	43,068
1985	93,736	51,050	54.5	47,259	50.4	3,791	7.4	42,686
1986 (1)	94,789	52,413	55.3	48,706	51.4	3,707	7.1	42,376
1987	95,853	53,658	56.0	50,334	52.5	3,324	6.2	42,195
1988	96,756	54,742	56.6	51,696	53.4	3,046	5.6	42,014
1989	97,630	56,030	57.4	53,027	54.3	3,003	5.4	41,601
1990 (1)	98,787	56,829	57.5	53,689	54.3	3,140	5.5	41,957
1991	99,646	57,178	57.4	53,496	53.7	3,683	6.4	42,468
1992	100,535	58,141	57.8	54,052	53.8	4,090	7.0	42,394
1993	101,506	58,795	57.9	54,910	54.1	3,885	6.6	42,711
1994 (1)	102,460	60,239	58.8	56,610	55.3	3,629	6.0	42,221
1995	103,406	60,944	58.9	57,523	55.6	3,421	5.6	42,462
1996	104,385	61,857	59.3	58,501	56.0	3,356	5.4	42,528
1997 (1)	105,418	63,036	59.8	59,873	56.8	3,162	5.0	42,382
1998 (1)	106,462	63,714	59.8	60,771	57.1	2,944	4.6	42,748
1999 (1)	108,031	64,855	60.0	62,042	57.4	2,814	4.3	43,175
2000 (1)	110,613	66,303	59.9	63,586	57.5	2,717	4.1	44,310
2001	111,811	66,848	59.8	63,737	57.0	3,111	4.7	44,962
2002	112,985	67,363	59.6	63,582	56.3	3,781	5.6	45,621
2003 (1)	114,733	68,272	59.5	64,404	56.1	3,868	5.7	46,461
2004	115,647	68,421	59.2	64,728	56.0	3,694	5.4	47,225
2005	116,931	69,288	59.3	65,757	56.2	3,531	5.1	47,643
2006	118,210	70,173	59.4	66,925	56.6	3,247	4.6	48,037
2007	119,694	70,988	59.3	67,792	56.6	3,196	4.5	48,707
2008 (1)	120,675	71,767	59.5	67,876	56.2	3,891	5.4	48,908
2009	121,665	72,019	59.2	66,208	54.4	5,811	8.1	49,646
Men
1970	64,304	51,228	79.7	48,990	76.2	2,238	4.4	13,076
1971	65,942	52,180	79.1	49,390	74.9	2,789	5.3	13,762
1972 (1)	67,835	53,555	78.9	50,896	75.0	2,659	5.0	14,280
1973 (1)	69,292	54,624	78.8	52,349	75.5	2,275	4.2	14,667
1974	70,808	55,739	78.7	53,024	74.9	2,714	4.9	15,069
1975	72,291	56,299	77.9	51,857	71.7	4,442	7.9	15,993
1976	73,759	57,174	77.5	53,138	72.0	4,036	7.1	16,585
1977	75,193	58,396	77.7	54,728	72.8	3,667	6.3	16,797
1978 (1)	76,576	59,620	77.9	56,479	73.8	3,142	5.3	16,956
1979	78,020	60,726	77.8	57,607	73.8	3,120	5.1	17,293
1980	79,398	61,453	77.4	57,186	72.0	4,267	6.9	17,945
1981	80,511	61,974	77.0	57,397	71.3	4,577	7.4	18,537
1982	81,523	62,450	76.6	56,271	69.0	6,179	9.9	19,073
1983	82,531	63,047	76.4	56,787	68.8	6,260	9.9	19,484
1984	83,605	63,835	76.4	59,091	70.7	4,744	7.4	19,771
1985	84,469	64,411	76.3	59,891	70.9	4,521	7.0	20,058
1986 (1)	85,798	65,422	76.3	60,892	71.0	4,530	6.9	20,376
1987	86,899	66,207	76.2	62,107	71.5	4,101	6.2	20,692
1988	87,857	66,927	76.2	63,273	72.0	3,655	5.5	20,930
1989	88,762	67,840	76.4	64,315	72.5	3,525	5.2	20,923
1990 (1)	90,377	69,011	76.4	65,104	72.0	3,906	5.7	21,367
1991	91,278	69,168	75.8	64,223	70.4	4,946	7.2	22,110
1992	92,270	69,964	75.8	64,440	69.8	5,523	7.9	22,306
1993	93,332	70,404	75.4	65,349	70.0	5,055	7.2	22,927
1994 (1)	94,355	70,817	75.1	66,450	70.4	4,367	6.2	23,538
1995	95,178	71,360	75.0	67,377	70.8	3,983	5.6	23,818
1996	96,206	72,087	74.9	68,207	70.9	3,880	5.4	24,119
1997 (1)	97,715	73,261	75.0	69,685	71.3	3,577	4.9	24,454
1998 (1)	98,758	73,959	74.9	70,693	71.6	3,266	4.4	24,799
1999 (1)	99,722	74,512	74.7	71,446	71.6	3,066	4.1	25,210
2000 (1)	101,964	76,280	74.8	73,305	71.9	2,975	3.9	25,684
2001	103,282	76,886	74.4	73,196	70.9	3,690	4.8	26,396
2002	104,585	77,500	74.1	72,903	69.7	4,597	5.9	27,085
2003 (1)	106,435	78,238	73.5	73,332	68.9	4,906	6.3	28,197
2004	107,710	78,980	73.3	74,524	69.2	4,456	5.6	28,730
2005	109,151	80,033	73.3	75,973	69.6	4,059	5.1	29,119
2006	110,605	81,255	73.5	77,502	70.1	3,753	4.6	29,350
2007	112,173	82,136	73.2	78,254	69.8	3,882	4.7	30,036
2008 (1)	113,113	82,520	73.0	77,486	68.5	5,033	6.1	30,593
2009	114,136	82,123	72.0	73,670	64.5	8,453	10.3	32,013
Footnotes: (1) The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). For an explanation, see the Historical Comparability section of the Household Data technical documentation provided at https://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.
SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Last Modified Date: March 16, 2011