Bureau of Labor Statistics > International Labor Comparisons > Data

International Comparisons of Annual Labor Force Statistics, Adjusted to U.S. Concepts, 10 Countries, 1970-2008

SECTION 4. WORKING-AGE POPULATION

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Introduction

The labor market statistics provided in this report describe the working-age population. In the United States, the working-age population is more specifically known as the civilian non-institutional working-age population:

"Civilian" refers to persons who are not on active duty in the military;
"Non-institutional" refers to persons who are not in institutions, such as prison inmates or those in a mental institution; and
"Working-age" refers to persons 16 years of age and older.

Data also refer to the civilian non-institutional working-age population for the foreign-country data except for Japan and Germany, where the institutional population is included. The lower age limit is 16 for the United States; the lower age limits for the foreign countries are shown in Figure 4-1.

Data are, in fact, adjusted to the age at which compulsory schooling ends for each country except for Canada and the Netherlands. For Canada, adjusted data cover persons ages 16 and over for 1976 onward, whereas the age at which compulsory schooling ends remains at 15. For the Netherlands, adjusted data cover persons ages 15 and over for 1975 onward, although the age at which compulsory schooling ends is now 16.

Figure 4-1 Lower Age Limits

Country	Unadjusted	Adjusted
United States	16	16
Canada
1970-75	15	15
1976-present	15	16
Australia	15	15
Japan	15	15
France	15	16
Germany
1970-74	14	15
1975-83	14/15	15
1984-present	15	15
Italy
1970-92	14	14
1993-present	15	15
Netherlands
1973-74	13	14
1975-87	14	15
1988-present	15	15
Sweden
1970-2004	16	16
2005-present	15	16
United Kingdom
1970-72	15	15
1973-present	16	16

For some countries, the data reported by the national statistical agency have an upper age limit. BLS adjusts for this divergence from the U.S. concept; therefore, the adjusted series have no upper age limit.

The working-age population data presented in this section are used to calculate employment-population ratios (Table 2-10, Table 2-11, Table 2-12) and labor force participation rates (Table 3-3, Table 3_4, and Table 3-5).

Tables

Table 4-1 Working-age population (in thousands)
Year	United States	Canada	Australia	Japan	France	Germany	Italy	Nether- lands	Sweden	United Kingdom
1970	137085	14528	8819	78620	36151	46094	40279	(na)	6106	(na)
1971	140216	14872	9036	79560	36578	46687	40385	(na)	6158	40397
1972	(b) 144126	15186	9238	80470	36965	47100	40780	(na)	6179	40564
1973	147096	15526	9425	82150	37352	47594	41186	9750	6199	40741
1974	150120	15924	9614	83170	37711	47904	41745	9885	6224	40912
1975	153153	16323	9763	84190	38020	48018	42131	9803	6257	41103
1976	156150	(b) 16582	9957	85160	38330	48128	42312	9960	6287	41331
1977	159033	16964	10136	86070	38679	48418	42529	10103	6321	41608
1978	161910	17302	10406	87020	39008	48788	43000	10256	6360	41904
1979	164863	17663	10575	88000	39371	49255	43436	10415	6396	42228
1980	167745	18032	10778	89080	39750	49849	43860	10588	6441	42570
1981	170130	18398	10994	89930	40125	50344	44184	10744	6479	42868
1982	172271	18716	11204	90920	40476	50714	44847	10871	6514	43083
1983	174215	18981	11401	92080	40828	50928	45457	(b) 10996	6553	43327
1984	176383	19220	11602	93230	41165	51112	45853	11131	6586	43596
1985	178206	19459	11826	94400	41500	51261	46174	11271	6621	43863
1986	(b) 180587	19715	(b) 12074	95630	41846	51467	46628	11403	6634	44087
1987	182753	19985	12323	96950	42217	51643	46986	(b) 11561	6678	44296
1988	184613	20257	12593	98240	42605	51893	47778	11667	6715	44456
1989	186393	20540	12823	99490	43008	52279	47660	11766	6766	44602
1990	(b) 189164	20852	13051	100660	43343	53135	48016	11865	6823	44705
1991	190925	21176	13227	101750	43623	(b) 66487	(b) 48044	11979	6857	44793
1992	192805	21459	13391	102590	43892	67083	48203	12077	6879	44848
1993	194838	21731	13561	103470	44138	67709	(b) 47130	12162	6888	44887
1994	(b) 196814	21994	13729	104200	44377	68022	47430	12246	6936	44960
1995	198584	22274	13936	104860	44609	68240	47702	12319	6963	45104
1996	200591	22575	14117	105470	44856	68498	47909	12387	6971	45266
1997	(b) 203133	22866	14321	106370	45147	68797	48096	12455	6987	45432
1998	205220	23130	14525	107040	45446	68914	48277	12538	7007	45610
1999	(b) 207753	23390	14698	107590	45771	69187	48388	12614	7061	45828
2000	(b) 212577	23692	14902	108120	46129	69365	48567	(b) 12703	7043	46085
2001	215092	24033	15140	108620	46522	69599	48750	12803	7116	46395
2002	217570	24395	15390	109030	46910	69900	48894	12892	7108	46680
2003	(b) 221168	24714	15611	109380	47279	70160	48896	(b) 12962	7148	46975
2004	(b) 223357	25046	15802	109660	47621	70431	49080	13019	7196	47339
2005	226082	25381	16099	109830	47959	(b) 70705	49606	13075	7240	47766
2006	228815	25760	16368	109960	48280	70844	49913	13128	7310	48166
2007	231867	26134	16654	110190	48579	70925	50301	13190	7384	48569
2008	233788	26507	16895	110270	48888	70982	50704	13245	7496	48962
Footnotes: (b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information. (na) Not available.

Table 4-2 Working-age population for men (in thousands)
Year	United States	Canada	Australia	Japan	France	Germany	Italy	Nether- lands	Sweden	United Kingdom
1970	64304	(na)	4377	38020	17029	21162	19189	(na)	3006	(na)
1971	65942	(na)	4483	38470	17266	21523	19199	(na)	3029	19122
1972	(b) 67835	(na)	4583	38940	17468	21736	19415	(na)	3035	19217
1973	69292	(na)	4677	39690	17674	22021	19599	4801	3045	19321
1974	70808	(na)	4769	40220	17856	22159	19874	4866	3053	19424
1975	72291	(na)	4842	40750	17996	22167	20075	4826	3070	19538
1976	73759	8191	4933	41230	18129	22194	20115	4902	3083	19661
1977	75193	8372	5021	41690	18286	22338	20252	4969	3097	19802
1978	76576	8533	5145	42150	18425	22536	20507	5039	3115	19951
1979	78020	8701	5219	42640	18600	22799	20690	5114	3130	20125
1980	79398	8879	5321	43170	18775	23157	20904	5194	3150	20297
1981	80511	9052	5427	43600	18956	23433	21075	5266	3164	20440
1982	81523	9205	5529	44060	19114	23628	21380	5324	3177	20547
1983	82531	9332	5634	44620	19285	23732	21686	(b) 5384	3195	20677
1984	83605	9445	5730	45200	19445	23840	21900	5449	3209	20821
1985	84469	9554	5846	45770	19599	23932	22041	5518	3217	20959
1986	(b) 85798	9682	(b) 5982	46380	19766	24068	22240	5581	3229	21070
1987	86899	9811	6106	47010	19943	24225	22411	(b) 5663	3250	21177
1988	87857	9938	6239	47650	20125	24383	22831	5711	3271	21262
1989	88762	10068	6341	48290	20324	24616	22771	5763	3297	21343
1990	(b) 90377	10223	6451	48880	20488	25145	22923	5812	3330	21409
1991	91278	10379	6536	49410	20625	(b) 31432	(b) 22924	5875	3346	21456
1992	92270	10525	6624	49780	20759	31826	23003	5922	3354	21483
1993	93332	10647	6707	50210	20873	32233	(b) 22452	5964	3358	21501
1994	(b) 94355	10771	6780	50540	20984	32429	22599	6014	3381	21537
1995	95178	10907	6883	50840	21090	32596	22734	6058	3392	21622
1996	96206	11061	6981	51120	21205	32769	22840	6092	3397	21712
1997	(b) 97715	11204	7077	51560	21355	32990	22933	6124	3409	21799
1998	98758	11349	7183	51850	21514	33056	23035	6166	3420	21891
1999	(b) 99722	11482	7249	52080	21690	33315	23089	6202	3449	22010
2000	(b) 101964	11634	7350	52290	21880	33386	23191	(b) 6247	3444	22150
2001	103282	11808	7464	52490	22090	33550	23296	6298	3484	22331
2002	104585	11995	7590	52700	22290	33716	23384	6343	3484	22502
2003	(b) 106435	12151	7699	52840	22476	33887	23384	(b) 6377	3505	22673
2004	(b) 107710	12311	7785	52940	22642	34040	23469	6401	3532	22879
2005	109151	12472	7933	52990	22805	(b) 34180	23746	6424	3558	23118
2006	110605	12665	8070	53030	22963	34278	23909	6448	3597	23346
2007	112173	12853	8227	53180	23111	34341	24104	6477	3639	23578
2008	113113	13037	8360	53210	23269	34392	24297	6505	3701	23804
Footnotes: (b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information. (na) Not available.

Table 4-3 Working-age population for women (in thousands)
Year	United States	Canada	Australia	Japan	France	Germany	Italy	Nether- lands	Sweden	United Kingdom
1970	72782	(na)	4442	40600	19123	24932	21090	(na)	3100	(na)
1971	74274	(na)	4553	41080	19312	25164	21186	(na)	3128	21275
1972	(b) 76290	(na)	4655	41530	19497	25364	21365	(na)	3141	21347
1973	77804	(na)	4748	42470	19677	25573	21587	4950	3154	21420
1974	79312	(na)	4845	42960	19855	25745	21871	5019	3169	21488
1975	80860	(na)	4921	43440	20024	25851	22056	4977	3186	21564
1976	82390	8392	5025	43920	20201	25934	22197	5058	3203	21671
1977	83840	8592	5115	44380	20394	26080	22277	5134	3222	21806
1978	85334	8770	5262	44870	20583	26252	22493	5216	3244	21953
1979	86843	8962	5356	45360	20771	26456	22746	5301	3265	22103
1980	88348	9153	5458	45910	20974	26692	22956	5393	3291	22272
1981	89618	9346	5567	46340	21168	26911	23109	5478	3314	22428
1982	90748	9511	5675	46870	21361	27086	23467	5546	3335	22536
1983	91684	9649	5767	47460	21542	27196	23771	(b) 5611	3357	22650
1984	92778	9774	5871	48040	21721	27272	23952	5682	3377	22775
1985	93736	9905	5980	48630	21901	27329	24134	5753	3390	22905
1986	(b) 94789	10033	(b) 6092	49250	22080	27399	24388	5822	3405	23018
1987	95853	10174	6217	49950	22274	27418	24574	(b) 5898	3427	23120
1988	96756	10319	6354	50590	22482	27510	24946	5955	3446	23195
1989	97630	10472	6482	51200	22682	27663	24889	6003	3468	23259
1990	(b) 98787	10629	6600	51780	22855	27990	25093	6053	3493	23296
1991	99646	10796	6691	52330	22999	(b) 35055	(b) 25120	6104	3511	23337
1992	100535	10934	6766	52810	23135	35257	25200	6155	3524	23366
1993	101506	11084	6854	53260	23265	35476	(b) 24678	6198	3530	23386
1994	(b) 102460	11223	6949	53660	23394	35593	24831	6232	3555	23423
1995	103406	11368	7053	54020	23518	35644	24967	6261	3569	23482
1996	104385	11514	7136	54350	23651	35729	25070	6295	3574	23555
1997	(b) 105418	11663	7244	54810	23793	35807	25163	6332	3578	23633
1998	106462	11782	7342	55190	23933	35858	25242	6372	3586	23719
1999	(b) 108031	11908	7450	55520	24080	35872	25298	6412	3611	23819
2000	(b) 110613	12058	7552	55830	24248	35979	25376	(b) 6456	3599	23936
2001	111811	12225	7675	56130	24433	36051	25454	6505	3631	24063
2002	112985	12401	7800	56320	24620	36185	25510	6549	3625	24177
2003	(b) 114733	12562	7911	56540	24803	36274	25512	(b) 6585	3642	24302
2004	(b) 115647	12735	8017	56720	24981	36391	25611	6618	3663	24459
2005	116931	12909	8166	56840	25152	(b) 36526	25861	6651	3681	24648
2006	118210	13095	8299	56930	25317	36566	26004	6681	3713	24820
2007	119694	13281	8427	57010	25468	36584	26197	6713	3744	24991
2008	120675	13470	8535	57060	25620	36590	26407	6740	3794	25158
Footnotes: (b) Break in series; see Country notes for more information. (na) Not available.

Last Modified Date: October 2, 2009