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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2009 Edition)

(Numbers in thousands)
Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, 1970-2008 annual averages
YearCivilian
noninstitutional
population
Civilian labor forceNot in
labor force
TotalPercent of
population
EmployedUnemployed
TotalPercent of
population
TotalPercent of
labor force
Total, both sexes

1970

137,08582,77160.478,67857.54,0934.954,315

1971

140,21684,38260.279,36756.65,0165.955,834

1972 (1)

144,12687,03460.482,15357.04,8825.657,091

1973 (1)

147,09689,42960.885,06457.84,3654.957,667

1974

150,12091,94961.386,79457.85,1565.658,171

1975

153,15393,77561.285,84656.17,9298.559,377

1976

156,15096,15861.688,75256.87,4067.759,991

1977

159,03399,00962.392,01757.96,9917.160,025

1978 (1)

161,910102,25163.296,04859.36,2026.159,659

1979

164,863104,96263.798,82459.96,1375.859,900

1980

167,745106,94063.899,30359.27,6377.160,806

1981

170,130108,67063.9100,39759.08,2737.661,460

1982

172,271110,20464.099,52657.810,6789.762,067

1983

174,215111,55064.0100,83457.910,7179.662,665

1984

176,383113,54464.4105,00559.58,5397.562,839

1985

178,206115,46164.8107,15060.18,3127.262,744

1986 (1)

180,587117,83465.3109,59760.78,2377.062,752

1987

182,753119,86565.6112,44061.57,4256.262,888

1988

184,613121,66965.9114,96862.36,7015.562,944

1989

186,393123,86966.5117,34263.06,5285.362,523

1990 (1)

189,164125,84066.5118,79362.87,0475.663,324

1991

190,925126,34666.2117,71861.78,6286.864,578

1992

192,805128,10566.4118,49261.59,6137.564,700

1993

194,838129,20066.3120,25961.78,9406.965,638

1994 (1)

196,814131,05666.6123,06062.57,9966.165,758

1995

198,584132,30466.6124,90062.97,4045.666,280

1996

200,591133,94366.8126,70863.27,2365.466,647

1997 (1)

203,133136,29767.1129,55863.86,7394.966,837

1998 (1)

205,220137,67367.1131,46364.16,2104.567,547

1999 (1)

207,753139,36867.1133,48864.35,8804.268,385

2000 (1)

212,577142,58367.1136,89164.45,6924.069,994

2001

215,092143,73466.8136,93363.76,8014.771,359

2002

217,570144,86366.6136,48562.78,3785.872,707

2003 (1)

221,168146,51066.2137,73662.38,7746.074,658

2004 (1)

223,357147,40166.0139,25262.38,1495.575,956

2005

226,082149,32066.0141,73062.77,5915.176,762

2006

228,815151,42866.2144,42763.17,0014.677,387

2007

231,867153,12466.0146,04763.07,0784.678,743

2008 (1)

233,788154,28766.0145,36262.28,9245.879,501
Women

1970

72,78231,54343.329,68840.81,8555.941,239

1971

74,27432,20243.429,97640.42,2276.942,072

1972 (1)

76,29033,47943.931,25741.02,2226.642,811

1973 (1)

77,80434,80444.732,71542.02,0896.043,000

1974

79,31236,21145.733,76942.62,4416.743,101

1975

80,86037,47546.333,98942.03,4869.343,386

1976

82,39038,98347.335,61543.23,3698.643,406

1977

83,84040,61348.437,28944.53,3248.243,227

1978 (1)

85,33442,63150.039,56946.43,0617.242,703

1979

86,84344,23550.941,21747.53,0186.842,608

1980

88,34845,48751.542,11747.73,3707.442,861

1981

89,61846,69652.143,00048.03,6967.942,922

1982

90,74847,75552.643,25647.74,4999.442,993

1983

91,68448,50352.944,04748.04,4579.243,181

1984

92,77849,70953.645,91549.53,7947.643,068

1985

93,73651,05054.547,25950.43,7917.442,686

1986 (1)

94,78952,41355.348,70651.43,7077.142,376

1987

95,85353,65856.050,33452.53,3246.242,195

1988

96,75654,74256.651,69653.43,0465.642,014

1989

97,63056,03057.453,02754.33,0035.441,601

1990 (1)

98,78756,82957.553,68954.33,1405.541,957

1991

99,64657,17857.453,49653.73,6836.442,468

1992

100,53558,14157.854,05253.84,0907.042,394

1993

101,50658,79557.954,91054.13,8856.642,711

1994 (1)

102,46060,23958.856,61055.33,6296.042,221

1995

103,40660,94458.957,52355.63,4215.642,462

1996

104,38561,85759.358,50156.03,3565.442,528

1997 (1)

105,41863,03659.859,87356.83,1625.042,382

1998 (1)

106,46263,71459.860,77157.12,9444.642,748

1999 (1)

108,03164,85560.062,04257.42,8144.343,175

2000 (1)

110,61366,30359.963,58657.52,7174.144,310

2001

111,81166,84859.863,73757.03,1114.744,962

2002

112,98567,36359.663,58256.33,7815.645,621

2003 (1)

114,73368,27259.564,40456.13,8685.746,461

2004 (1)

115,64768,42159.264,72856.03,6945.447,225

2005

116,93169,28859.365,75756.23,5315.147,643

2006

118,21070,17359.466,92556.63,2474.648,037

2007

119,69470,98859.367,79256.63,1964.548,707

2008 (1)

120,67571,76759.567,87656.23,8915.448,908
Men

1970

64,30451,22879.748,99076.22,2384.413,076

1971

65,94252,18079.149,39074.92,7895.313,762

1972 (1)

67,83553,55578.950,89675.02,6595.014,280

1973 (1)

69,29254,62478.852,34975.52,2754.214,667

1974

70,80855,73978.753,02474.92,7144.915,069

1975

72,29156,29977.951,85771.74,4427.915,993

1976

73,75957,17477.553,13872.04,0367.116,585

1977

75,19358,39677.754,72872.83,6676.316,797

1978 (1)

76,57659,62077.956,47973.83,1425.316,956

1979

78,02060,72677.857,60773.83,1205.117,293

1980

79,39861,45377.457,18672.04,2676.917,945

1981

80,51161,97477.057,39771.34,5777.418,537

1982

81,52362,45076.656,27169.06,1799.919,073

1983

82,53163,04776.456,78768.86,2609.919,484

1984

83,60563,83576.459,09170.74,7447.419,771

1985

84,46964,41176.359,89170.94,5217.020,058

1986 (1)

85,79865,42276.360,89271.04,5306.920,376

1987

86,89966,20776.262,10771.54,1016.220,692

1988

87,85766,92776.263,27372.03,6555.520,930

1989

88,76267,84076.464,31572.53,5255.220,923

1990 (1)

90,37769,01176.465,10472.03,9065.721,367

1991

91,27869,16875.864,22370.44,9467.222,110

1992

92,27069,96475.864,44069.85,5237.922,306

1993

93,33270,40475.465,34970.05,0557.222,927

1994 (1)

94,35570,81775.166,45070.44,3676.223,538

1995

95,17871,36075.067,37770.83,9835.623,818

1996

96,20672,08774.968,20770.93,8805.424,119

1997 (1)

97,71573,26175.069,68571.33,5774.924,454

1998 (1)

98,75873,95974.970,69371.63,2664.424,799

1999 (1)

99,72274,51274.771,44671.63,0664.125,210

2000 (1)

101,96476,28074.873,30571.92,9753.925,684

2001

103,28276,88674.473,19670.93,6904.826,396

2002

104,58577,50074.172,90369.74,5975.927,085

2003 (1)

106,43578,23873.573,33268.94,9066.328,197

2004 (1)

107,71078,98073.374,52469.24,4565.628,730

2005

109,15180,03373.375,97369.64,0595.129,119

2006

110,60581,25573.577,50270.13,7534.629,350

2007

112,17382,13673.278,25469.83,8824.730,036

2008 (1)

113,11382,52073.077,48668.55,0336.130,593

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.