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Economic News Release
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Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-born Workers News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, May 18, 2022		                  USDL-22-0902

Technical information:  (202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cps 
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov 


                  FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS: LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS -- 2021


The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 5.6 percent in 2021,
down sharply from 9.2 percent in 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. 
The jobless rate of native-born persons also declined sharply; it was 5.3 percent in 2021,
down from 7.8 percent in 2020. Both measures are down considerably from their highs in 2020,
however, they remain above their levels prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019. 

Data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly
sample survey of approximately 60,000 households. The foreign born are persons who reside
in the United States but who were not U.S. citizens at birth. Specifically, they were born 
outside the United States (or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam), and 
neither parent was a U.S. citizen. The foreign born include legally-admitted immigrants, 
refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and undocumented 
immigrants. However, the survey does not separately identify persons in these categories.
For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note in this news release.

Highlights from the 2021 data:

 --In 2021, the share of the U.S. civilian labor force that is foreign born returned to
   its pre-pandemic level of 17.4 percent in 2019, up from 17.0 percent in 2020. From
   2020 to 2021, the foreign-born labor force increased by 671,000 while that of the
   native-born labor force was essentially unchanged. (See table 1.)

 --From 2020 to 2021, overall employment increased by 4.8 million. Among the foreign born,
   employment increased by 1.6 million, an increase of 6.5 percent. Employment also
   increased among the native born (+3.2 million); however, in relative terms, the increase
   was about less than half as large, at 2.6 percent. (See table 1.)
 
 --Hispanics continued to account for nearly half of the foreign-born labor force in 2021,
   and Asians accounted for one-quarter. (See table 1.) (Data in this news release for
   persons who are White, Black, or Asian do not include those of Hispanic or Latino
   ethnicity. Data on persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are presented separately.)

 --Foreign-born men continued to participate in the labor force at a considerably higher
   rate in 2021 (76.8 percent) than their native-born counterparts (65.8 percent). By 
   contrast, 53.4 percent of foreign-born women were labor force participants, lower than
   the participation rate of 56.6 percent for native-born women. (See table 1.)

 --In 2021, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed
   in service occupations; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations;
   and production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Foreign-born workers
   were less likely than native-born workers to be employed in management, professional,
   and related occupations and in sales and office occupations. (See table 4.)

 --The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were
   $898 in 2021, compared with $1,017 for their native-born counterparts. (See table 5.)
   (Differences in earnings reflect a variety of factors, including variations in the 
   distributions of foreign-born and native-born workers by educational attainment,
   occupation, industry, and geographic region.) 

Demographic Characteristics

The demographic composition of the foreign-born labor force differs from that of the 
native-born labor force. In 2021, men accounted for 57.4 percent of the foreign-born labor
force, compared with 52.1 percent of the native-born labor force. By age, the proportion
of the foreign-born labor force made up of 25- to 54-year-olds (71.4 percent) was higher
than for the native-born labor force (62.2 percent). Labor force participation is typically
highest among persons in that age bracket. (See table 1.)

In 2021, nearly half (47.6 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and 
one-quarter (25.0 percent) was Asian. Hispanics and Asians made up much lower percentages
of the native-born labor force, at 12.1 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. About 16.2
percent of the foreign-born labor force was White and 9.9 percent was Black, compared with
70.2 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force.

In terms of educational attainment, the proportion of the foreign-born labor force age 25
and over that had not completed high school was 19.1 percent in 2021, much higher than the
figure for the native-born labor force, at 3.5 percent. The foreign born were less likely
than the native born to have some college or an associate degree--15.5 percent versus 27.7
percent. The proportions of foreign-born and native-born high school graduates (24.8 percent
versus 24.9 percent) and those with a bachelor's degree or higher (40.5 percent versus 
43.9 percent) were more similar.

Labor Force

In 2021, the share of the U.S. civilian labor force that is foreign born returned to its
pre-pandemic level of 17.4 percent in 2019, up from 17.0 percent in 2020. From 2020 to 2021,
the foreign-born labor force increased by 671,000, while that of the native-born labor force
was essentially unchanged. (See table 1.) 

In 2021, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born changed little at 64.7 
percent. The rates for foreign-born men and women also were little changed at 76.8 percent
and 53.4 percent, respectively. The labor force participation rate of the native born was 
little changed at 61.0 percent. The rates for native-born men and women were also little 
changed at 65.8 percent and 56.6 percent, respectively.

Labor force participation rates for the foreign born varied across the major race and 
ethnicity groups in 2021, ranging from 60.2 percent for foreign-born Whites to 69.4 percent
for foreign-born Blacks. Participation rates for the native born showed less variation across
major race and ethnicity groups, ranging from 59.4 percent for native-born Blacks to 65.2
percent for native-born Hispanics.

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born
Asians increased by 1.7 percentage points to 64.1 percent from 2020 to 2021. The rates for 
foreign-born Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics were little changed over the year. Among the 
native born, the participation rate of Whites declined by 0.3 percentage point to 60.6 
percent, while native born Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics changed little from 2020 to 2021.

In 2021, foreign-born mothers with children under age 18 were less likely to be labor 
force participants than native-born mothers--60.1 percent versus 74.6 percent. Labor 
force participation differences between foreign-born and native-born mothers were 
greater among those with younger children than among those with older children. Among
women with children under age 3, the participation rate for foreign-born mothers was 
48.4 percent, 18.4 percentage points below that for native-born mothers, at 66.8 percent.
By comparison, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born mothers with children
ages 6 to 17 (65.9 percent) was 12.7 percentage points lower than that for native-born
mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (78.6 percent). The labor force participation rates
of foreign-born and native-born fathers with children under age 18 were more similar,
at 93.4 percent and 92.2 percent, respectively. (See table 2.)

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West (22.5
percent) and in the Northeast (20.5 percent) in 2021 than for the nation as a whole 
(17.4 percent). The foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force than for the
nation as a whole in the South (16.9 percent) and the Midwest (9.7 percent). (See table 6.) 

Employment

From 2020 to 2021, overall employment grew by 4.8 million. Among the foreign born, 
employment increased by 1.6 million, or 6.5 percent. Employment also rose among the 
native born (+3.2 million); however, in relative terms, the increase was about less
than half as large, at 2.6 percent. (See table 1.) 

Unemployment

The unemployment rate of the foreign born declined from 9.2 percent to 5.6 percent 
from 2020 to 2021, and the jobless rate for the native born decreased from 7.8 percent
to 5.3 percent. However, the jobless rates for foreign born and native born remain 
higher than their 2019 levels (3.1 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively), prior to 
the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The over-the-year decline in the unemployment 
rates of the foreign born and the native born reflected declines in the rates for both
men and women. In 2021, the unemployment rates for foreign-born men and women fell by
2.9 percentage points and 4.7 percentage points to 5.1 percent and 6.1 percent, 
respectively. The unemployment rates for native-born men and women fell by 2.3 
percentage points and 2.9 percentage points to 5.5 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively.
(See table 1.)

For both the foreign born and the native born, jobless rates vary considerably by race
and ethnicity. Among the foreign born, Blacks had the highest unemployment rate in 2021
(7.1 percent), followed by Hispanics (5.7 percent), Whites (5.2 percent), and Asians
(4.9 percent). Among the native born, jobless rates were higher for Blacks (8.9 percent)
and Hispanics (7.6 percent) than for Asians (5.2 percent) and Whites (4.2 percent).

Occupation

In 2021, foreign-born workers continued to be more likely than native-born workers to
be employed in service occupations (21.2 percent versus 14.9 percent); natural resources,
construction, and maintenance occupations (14.2 percent versus 8.1 percent); and 
production, transportation, and material moving occupations (15.3 percent versus 12.1
percent). Foreign-born workers were less likely than native-born workers to be employed
in management, professional, and related occupations (35.2 percent versus 43.9 percent)
and in sales and office occupations (14.2 percent versus 20.9 percent). (See table 4.)

Among employed men, the disparity was especially great in natural resources, construction,
and maintenance occupations--23.1 percent of the foreign born worked in this occupational
field in 2021, versus 14.7 percent of the native born. The occupational disparity for
women was pronounced in service occupations--30.0 percent of the foreign born worked in 
that occupation group, compared with 17.7 percent of the native born. By contrast,
employed native-born men and women were more likely than their foreign-born counterparts
to work in management, professional, and related occupations and in sales and office 
occupations.

Earnings

In 2021, median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers
($898) were 88.3 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($1,017). Among
men, median weekly earnings for the foreign born ($957) were 84.6 percent of the earnings
of the native born ($1,131). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($804) were 86.7 
percent of the earnings of native-born women ($927). (See table 5.) Differences in earnings
reflect a variety of factors, including variations in the distributions of foreign-born
and native-born workers by educational attainment, occupation, industry, and geographic 
region. 

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Hispanic foreign-born full-time wage and salary
workers earned 84.3 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2021. For Black
and Asian workers, earnings for the foreign born were slightly higher than for their 
native-born counterparts (about an 8-percent difference for both groups), while White 
foreign-born workers earned 15.4 percent more than their native-born counterparts. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In
2021, foreign-born workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma earned 
$610 per week, while those with a bachelor's degree and higher earned about 2.5 times as
much--$1,521 per week. Among the native born, those with a bachelor's degree and higher 
earned 2.2 times as much as those with less than a high school diploma--$1,440 per week
versus $669 per week.

Native-born workers earn more than the foreign born at most educational attainment levels.
For example, among high school graduates (no college), full-time workers who were foreign 
born ($735) earned 89.0 percent as much as their native-born counterparts ($826) in 2021.
However, among those with a bachelor's degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born 
workers ($1,521) were slightly higher than the earnings of native-born workers ($1,440).




Technical Note


   The estimates in this release are based on annual average data from
the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS, which is conducted by
the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is a
monthly survey of about 60,000 eligible households that provides
information on the labor force status, demographics, and other
characteristics of the nation's civilian noninstitutional population
age 16 and over. In response to the increased demand for statistical
information about the foreign born, questions on nativity,
citizenship, year of entry into the United States, and the parental
nativity of respondents were added to the CPS beginning in January
1994. Prior to 1994, the primary sources of data on the foreign born
were the decennial census, two CPS supplements (conducted in April
1983 and November 1989), and, to some extent, information collected by
the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the
Immigration and Naturalization Service).

   The foreign- and native-born data presented in this release are not
strictly comparable with data for earlier years due to the introduction
of updated population estimates, or controls, used in the CPS. The
population controls are updated each year in January to reflect the
latest information about population change. Additional information is
available from the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop.

   If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please
dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services

Reliability of the estimates

   Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and
nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population,
is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ
from the true population values they represent. The component of this
difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as
sampling error, and its variability is measured by the standard error
of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of
confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more
than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of
sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent
level of confidence.

   The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a
segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all
respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents
to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or
processing of the data.

   Additional information about the reliability of data from the CPS
and estimating standard errors is available at
www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.

Definitions

   Definitions of the principal terms used in this release are
presented below.

   Foreign born. The foreign born are persons residing in the United
States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. Specifically, they were born
outside the United States (or one of its outlying areas such as Guam or
Puerto Rico), and neither parent was a U.S. citizen. The foreign-born 
population includes legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary 
residents such as students and temporary workers,and undocumented immigrants.
The survey data, however, do not separately identify the number of persons 
in these categories.

   Native born. The native born are persons born in the United States
or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam or who were
born abroad of at least one parent who was a U.S. citizen.

   Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the data are presented
for non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, and Asians and for persons of
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. These four groups are mutually exclusive
but not exhaustive. Other race groups (including persons who selected
more than one race category) are included in the overall totals but
are not shown separately because the number of survey respondents is
too small to develop statistically reliable estimates. The presentation
of data on race and ethnicity in this release differs from that
which appears in most analyses of CPS labor force data because persons
of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are separated from the race groups.
Because persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity can be of any race,
they are usually included in the race groups as well as shown
separately in the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity group. The reason for
the difference in the data presentation in this release is because
about half of the foreign born are of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and
they have somewhat different labor force characteristics than the non-
Hispanic foreign born.

   Employed. Employed persons are all those who, during the survey
reference week, (a) did any work at all as paid employees; (b) worked
in their own business, profession, or on their own farm; or (c) worked
15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family member's business.
Persons who were temporarily absent from their jobs because of
illness, bad weather, vacation, labor dispute, or another reason also
are counted as employed.

   Unemployed. The unemployed are those who had no employment during
the reference week, were available for work at that time, and had made
specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period
ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be
recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not be
looking for work to be classified as unemployed.

   Civilian labor force. The civilian labor force comprises all
persons classified as employed or unemployed.

   Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the number unemployed
as a percent of the civilian labor force.

   Labor force participation rate. The labor force participation rate
is the labor force as a percent of the population.

   Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and
other deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips
usually received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders).
Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.

   Full-time wage and salary workers. These are workers who usually
work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job and
receive wages, salaries, and other types of compensation. The group
includes employees in both the private and public sectors but, for
purposes of the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons,
regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

   Median earnings. The median earnings is the amount which divides a
given earnings distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings
above the median and the other having earnings below the median.




Table 1. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations by selected characteristics, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2020 2021
Civilian
noninsti-
tutional
population
Civilian labor force Civilian
noninsti-
tutional
population
Civilian labor force
Total Participa-
tion rate
Employed Unemployed Total Participa-
tion rate
Employed Unemployed
Number Unem-
ployment
rate
Number Unem-
ployment
rate

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over

260,329 160,742 61.7 147,795 12,947 8.1 261,445 161,204 61.7 152,581 8,623 5.3

Men

125,922 85,204 67.7 78,560 6,644 7.8 126,487 85,505 67.6 80,829 4,676 5.5

Women

134,407 75,538 56.2 69,234 6,304 8.3 134,958 75,699 56.1 71,752 3,948 5.2

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over

42,361 27,316 64.5 24,809 2,507 9.2 43,226 27,987 64.7 26,431 1,556 5.6

Men

20,420 15,652 76.6 14,401 1,250 8.0 20,922 16,069 76.8 15,245 823 5.1

Women

21,941 11,664 53.2 10,407 1,257 10.8 22,304 11,918 53.4 11,186 733 6.1

Age

16 to 24 years

3,149 1,604 50.9 1,373 231 14.4 3,174 1,683 53.0 1,521 161 9.6

25 to 34 years

7,208 5,470 75.9 4,966 504 9.2 6,987 5,397 77.2 5,099 298 5.5

35 to 44 years

9,103 7,150 78.5 6,599 551 7.7 9,419 7,472 79.3 7,118 354 4.7

45 to 54 years

8,793 6,993 79.5 6,367 626 8.9 8,949 7,125 79.6 6,762 363 5.1

55 to 64 years

6,831 4,637 67.9 4,191 446 9.6 7,020 4,798 68.3 4,505 292 6.1

65 years and over

7,278 1,461 20.1 1,312 149 10.2 7,678 1,512 19.7 1,425 87 5.8

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity(1)

White non-Hispanic or Latino

7,377 4,420 59.9 4,087 333 7.5 7,555 4,545 60.2 4,310 234 5.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

3,979 2,757 69.3 2,463 294 10.7 4,000 2,777 69.4 2,579 198 7.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

10,966 6,848 62.4 6,252 595 8.7 10,915 6,994 64.1 6,651 344 4.9

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

19,569 12,978 66.3 11,723 1,255 9.7 20,170 13,308 66.0 12,545 763 5.7

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over

39,212 25,712 65.6 23,436 2,276 8.9 40,052 26,304 65.7 24,909 1,395 5.3

Less than a high school diploma

8,762 4,886 55.8 4,328 558 11.4 8,972 5,037 56.1 4,708 330 6.5

High school graduates, no college(2)

10,023 6,302 62.9 5,617 685 10.9 10,497 6,530 62.2 6,115 414 6.3

Some college or associate degree

6,192 4,153 67.1 3,767 386 9.3 6,129 4,071 66.4 3,849 222 5.4

Bachelor's degree and higher(3)

14,235 10,371 72.9 9,723 648 6.2 14,455 10,666 73.8 10,237 429 4.0

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over

217,968 133,427 61.2 122,986 10,441 7.8 218,219 133,217 61.0 126,150 7,067 5.3

Men

105,502 69,552 65.9 64,159 5,393 7.8 105,565 69,436 65.8 65,584 3,852 5.5

Women

112,466 63,874 56.8 58,827 5,047 7.9 112,654 63,781 56.6 60,566 3,215 5.0

Age

16 to 24 years

34,336 18,603 54.2 15,819 2,784 15.0 34,088 19,005 55.8 17,153 1,851 9.7

25 to 34 years

37,636 31,036 82.5 28,460 2,576 8.3 37,764 31,273 82.8 29,479 1,794 5.7

35 to 44 years

32,227 26,833 83.3 25,208 1,625 6.1 32,423 26,848 82.8 25,616 1,232 4.6

45 to 54 years

31,078 25,148 80.9 23,731 1,416 5.6 30,566 24,752 81.0 23,792 960 3.9

55 to 64 years

35,360 22,656 64.1 21,262 1,393 6.1 34,865 22,252 63.8 21,407 845 3.8

65 years and over

47,330 9,152 19.3 8,506 646 7.1 48,513 9,088 18.7 8,703 385 4.2

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity(1)

White non-Hispanic or Latino

154,711 94,284 60.9 88,161 6,123 6.5 154,513 93,561 60.6 89,674 3,886 4.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

27,296 16,089 58.9 14,237 1,851 11.5 27,576 16,390 59.4 14,939 1,451 8.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

5,021 3,153 62.8 2,889 264 8.4 5,047 3,159 62.6 2,993 166 5.2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

24,614 15,992 65.0 14,229 1,763 11.0 24,733 16,115 65.2 14,884 1,232 7.6

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over

183,632 114,824 62.5 107,167 7,656 6.7 184,131 114,213 62.0 108,997 5,216 4.6

Less than a high school diploma

11,138 4,043 36.3 3,561 483 11.9 11,031 3,970 36.0 3,556 414 10.4

High school graduates, no college(2)

52,098 28,440 54.6 25,989 2,450 8.6 52,736 28,465 54.0 26,706 1,759 6.2

Some college or associate degree

51,135 32,248 63.1 29,803 2,446 7.6 50,526 31,617 62.6 30,006 1,611 5.1

Bachelor's degree and higher(3)

69,260 50,092 72.3 47,815 2,277 4.5 69,838 50,162 71.8 48,729 1,432 2.9

Footnotes
(1) Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
(2) Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(3) Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Table 2. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by presence and age of youngest child and sex, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2020 2021
Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

15,253 7,212 8,041 14,986 7,039 7,948

Civilian labor force

11,506 6,697 4,809 11,349 6,574 4,775

Participation rate

75.4 92.9 59.8 75.7 93.4 60.1

Employed

10,535 6,227 4,308 10,800 6,306 4,494

Employment-population ratio

69.1 86.4 53.6 72.1 89.6 56.5

Unemployed

971 470 501 549 268 281

Unemployment rate

8.4 7.0 10.4 4.8 4.1 5.9

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population

8,824 4,073 4,751 8,850 4,101 4,749

Civilian labor force

6,865 3,755 3,110 6,940 3,809 3,131

Participation rate

77.8 92.2 65.4 78.4 92.9 65.9

Employed

6,296 3,501 2,795 6,621 3,660 2,961

Employment-population ratio

71.4 86.0 58.8 74.8 89.3 62.3

Unemployed

568 254 314 318 149 169

Unemployment rate

8.3 6.8 10.1 4.6 3.9 5.4

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population

6,429 3,139 3,290 6,136 2,938 3,198

Civilian labor force

4,641 2,942 1,699 4,409 2,765 1,644

Participation rate

72.2 93.7 51.6 71.9 94.1 51.4

Employed

4,239 2,727 1,512 4,179 2,646 1,533

Employment-population ratio

65.9 86.9 46.0 68.1 90.1 47.9

Unemployed

402 215 187 230 119 111

Unemployment rate

8.7 7.3 11.0 5.2 4.3 6.8

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population

3,508 1,725 1,783 3,216 1,559 1,656

Civilian labor force

2,482 1,610 872 2,260 1,459 802

Participation rate

70.8 93.3 48.9 70.3 93.6 48.4

Employed

2,266 1,491 775 2,137 1,394 742

Employment-population ratio

64.6 86.4 43.4 66.4 89.4 44.8

Unemployed

216 119 97 124 65 59

Unemployment rate

8.7 7.4 11.2 5.5 4.4 7.4

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

27,108 13,208 13,900 28,240 13,883 14,357

Civilian labor force

15,810 8,955 6,855 16,638 9,494 7,143

Participation rate

58.3 67.8 49.3 58.9 68.4 49.8

Employed

14,274 8,174 6,100 15,631 8,939 6,692

Employment-population ratio

52.7 61.9 43.9 55.3 64.4 46.6

Unemployed

1,536 781 756 1,007 555 452

Unemployment rate

9.7 8.7 11.0 6.1 5.8 6.3

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

47,988 21,357 26,631 47,272 20,951 26,321

Civilian labor force

39,557 19,664 19,893 38,959 19,327 19,632

Participation rate

82.4 92.1 74.7 82.4 92.2 74.6

Employed

37,207 18,665 18,542 37,291 18,606 18,685

Employment-population ratio

77.5 87.4 69.6 78.9 88.8 71.0

Unemployed

2,350 999 1,351 1,668 721 947

Unemployment rate

5.9 5.1 6.8 4.3 3.7 4.8

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population

26,842 11,894 14,948 26,277 11,543 14,733

Civilian labor force

22,572 10,833 11,739 22,079 10,500 11,579

Participation rate

84.1 91.1 78.5 84.0 91.0 78.6

Employed

21,325 10,324 11,001 21,201 10,131 11,071

Employment-population ratio

79.4 86.8 73.6 80.7 87.8 75.1

Unemployed

1,247 509 737 878 370 508

Unemployment rate

5.5 4.7 6.3 4.0 3.5 4.4

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population

21,146 9,463 11,683 20,995 9,408 11,587

Civilian labor force

16,985 8,831 8,154 16,879 8,827 8,053

Participation rate

80.3 93.3 69.8 80.4 93.8 69.5

Employed

15,882 8,341 7,541 16,090 8,475 7,614

Employment-population ratio

75.1 88.1 64.5 76.6 90.1 65.7

Unemployed

1,103 490 613 790 351 438

Unemployment rate

6.5 5.5 7.5 4.7 4.0 5.4

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population

12,256 5,559 6,697 11,949 5,381 6,568

Civilian labor force

9,697 5,198 4,499 9,437 5,052 4,385

Participation rate

79.1 93.5 67.2 79.0 93.9 66.8

Employed

9,082 4,914 4,168 8,996 4,856 4,141

Employment-population ratio

74.1 88.4 62.2 75.3 90.2 63.0

Unemployed

615 284 331 441 197 244

Unemployment rate

6.3 5.5 7.3 4.7 3.9 5.6

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

169,979 84,145 85,834 170,947 84,614 86,333

Civilian labor force

93,870 49,888 43,981 94,258 50,109 44,149

Participation rate

55.2 59.3 51.2 55.1 59.2 51.1

Employed

85,779 45,494 40,285 88,859 46,978 41,881

Employment-population ratio

50.5 54.1 46.9 52.0 55.5 48.5

Unemployed

8,091 4,394 3,696 5,399 3,131 2,268

Unemployment rate

8.6 8.8 8.4 5.7 6.2 5.1

NOTE: Own children include sons, daughters, step-children, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Table 3. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 25 years and over by educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2020 2021
Less than
a high
school
diploma
High school
graduates,
no college(1)
Some
college or
associate
degree
Bachelor's
degree and
higher(2)
Less than
a high
school
diploma
High school
graduates,
no college(1)
Some
college or
associate
degree
Bachelor's
degree and
higher(2)

FOREIGN BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

498 1,567 1,249 3,610 494 1,663 1,321 3,589

Civilian labor force

161 782 718 2,548 174 795 763 2,571

Participation rate

32.3 49.9 57.5 70.6 35.2 47.8 57.8 71.6

Employed

144 710 652 2,398 162 747 724 2,464

Employment-population ratio

28.9 45.3 52.2 66.4 32.8 44.9 54.8 68.7

Unemployed

17 73 66 150 12 48 39 106

Unemployment rate

10.3 9.3 9.2 5.9 6.6 6.0 5.2 4.1

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

374 1,016 866 1,313 376 1,034 825 1,415

Civilian labor force

190 671 656 1,062 185 684 596 1,135

Participation rate

50.9 66.1 75.8 80.9 49.2 66.2 72.3 80.2

Employed

160 585 588 984 169 625 558 1,073

Employment-population ratio

42.8 57.6 67.9 75.0 44.9 60.5 67.7 75.8

Unemployed

30 87 68 78 16 59 38 62

Unemployment rate

16.0 12.9 10.4 7.4 8.7 8.6 6.3 5.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

900 1,877 1,234 6,186 849 1,916 1,239 6,190

Civilian labor force

353 995 766 4,422 330 1,008 787 4,554

Participation rate

39.3 53.0 62.1 71.5 38.9 52.6 63.6 73.6

Employed

297 844 687 4,167 307 923 745 4,391

Employment-population ratio

33.0 45.0 55.6 67.4 36.1 48.1 60.1 70.9

Unemployed

57 151 79 255 24 85 43 163

Unemployment rate

16.1 15.2 10.4 5.8 7.2 8.4 5.4 3.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population

6,952 5,472 2,717 2,956 7,200 5,762 2,624 3,025

Civilian labor force

4,156 3,794 1,929 2,220 4,327 3,971 1,845 2,238

Participation rate

59.8 69.3 71.0 75.1 60.1 68.9 70.3 74.0

Employed

3,705 3,425 1,764 2,066 4,049 3,752 1,749 2,148

Employment-population ratio

53.3 62.6 64.9 69.9 56.2 65.1 66.6 71.0

Unemployed

451 369 165 154 278 219 96 91

Unemployment rate

10.9 9.7 8.5 6.9 6.4 5.5 5.2 4.0

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

6,386 37,005 36,937 55,058 6,350 37,125 36,296 55,629

Civilian labor force

2,216 19,488 22,495 39,028 2,207 19,132 21,891 39,006

Participation rate

34.7 52.7 60.9 70.9 34.7 51.5 60.3 70.1

Employed

2,004 18,085 20,992 37,378 2,030 18,200 20,969 38,009

Employment-population ratio

31.4 48.9 56.8 67.9 32.0 49.0 57.8 68.3

Unemployed

212 1,403 1,503 1,650 176 932 922 997

Unemployment rate

9.6 7.2 6.7 4.2 8.0 4.9 4.2 2.6

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

2,235 7,609 6,751 6,045 2,093 7,923 6,795 6,072

Civilian labor force

687 4,130 4,382 4,560 598 4,395 4,448 4,579

Participation rate

30.7 54.3 64.9 75.4 28.6 55.5 65.5 75.4

Employed

565 3,588 3,944 4,313 488 3,946 4,103 4,391

Employment-population ratio

25.3 47.2 58.4 71.3 23.3 49.8 60.4 72.3

Unemployed

123 542 438 247 110 450 345 187

Unemployment rate

17.8 13.1 10.0 5.4 18.4 10.2 7.7 4.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

128 541 629 2,320 142 580 642 2,335

Civilian labor force

66 319 408 1,823 52 329 425 1,833

Participation rate

51.6 58.9 64.8 78.6 36.8 56.7 66.2 78.5

Employed

58 285 365 1,731 48 302 398 1,777

Employment-population ratio

45.3 52.7 58.1 74.6 33.6 52.1 62.0 76.1

Unemployed

8 33 42 92 5 27 27 55

Unemployment rate

12.4 10.5 10.3 5.0 8.9 8.1 6.3 3.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population

2,014 5,545 5,274 4,446 2,079 5,701 5,227 4,407

Civilian labor force

951 3,683 3,928 3,588 977 3,751 3,809 3,642

Participation rate

47.2 66.4 74.5 80.7 47.0 65.8 72.9 82.6

Employed

831 3,299 3,571 3,361 871 3,470 3,560 3,504

Employment-population ratio

41.2 59.5 67.7 75.6 41.9 60.9 68.1 79.5

Unemployed

120 384 358 227 106 281 249 138

Unemployment rate

12.6 10.4 9.1 6.3 10.9 7.5 6.5 3.8

Footnotes
(1) Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Table 4. Employed foreign-born and native-born persons 16 years and over by occupation and sex, 2021 annual averages [Percent distribution]
Occupation Foreign born Native born
Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)

26,431 15,245 11,186 126,150 65,584 60,566

Occupation as a percent of total employed

Total employed

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations

35.2 33.1 38.1 43.9 39.7 48.5

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

13.8 13.9 13.6 19.2 20.0 18.3

Management occupations

9.4 10.6 7.8 13.1 14.6 11.4

Business and financial operations occupations

4.3 3.3 5.8 6.1 5.4 7.0

Professional and related occupations

21.4 19.2 24.5 24.7 19.7 30.2

Computer and mathematical occupations

5.7 7.0 3.8 3.3 4.8 1.8

Architecture and engineering occupations

2.5 3.4 1.2 2.0 3.3 0.7

Life, physical, and social science occupations

1.3 1.2 1.4 1.0 1.0 1.0

Community and social service occupations

1.0 0.7 1.4 2.0 1.2 2.8

Legal occupations

0.5 0.3 0.8 1.3 1.2 1.5

Education, training, and library occupations

3.8 2.2 5.9 6.3 3.1 9.8

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

1.4 1.1 1.7 2.2 2.1 2.3

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

5.4 3.2 8.3 6.5 3.0 10.3

Service occupations

21.2 14.7 30.0 14.9 12.3 17.7

Healthcare support occupations

4.1 1.1 8.3 3.0 0.9 5.3

Protective service occupations

0.7 1.0 0.3 2.2 3.2 1.1

Food preparation and serving related occupations

6.0 5.3 7.0 4.6 3.9 5.4

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

7.6 6.3 9.3 2.8 3.4 2.1

Personal care and service occupations

2.7 1.0 5.1 2.3 1.0 3.8

Sales and office occupations

14.2 10.7 18.9 20.9 15.2 27.2

Sales and related occupations

7.1 6.3 8.2 9.9 9.5 10.3

Office and administrative support occupations

7.0 4.3 10.7 11.1 5.7 16.9

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

14.2 23.1 2.0 8.1 14.7 0.9

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

1.5 2.0 0.9 0.5 0.8 0.3

Construction and extraction occupations

9.8 16.2 0.9 4.3 8.0 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

2.9 4.8 0.2 3.2 5.9 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

15.3 18.5 10.9 12.1 18.0 5.8

Production occupations

6.8 7.2 6.3 4.9 7.0 2.5

Transportation and material moving occupations

8.5 11.3 4.6 7.2 10.9 3.2

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Effective with January 2020 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system, derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been revised. Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years.


Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native born by selected characteristics, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2020 2021
Foreign born Native born Earnings
of foreign
born as
percent of
native
born
Foreign born Native born Earnings
of foreign
born as
percent of
native
born
Number Median
weekly
earnings
Number Median
weekly
earnings
Number Median
weekly
earnings
Number Median
weekly
earnings

Total, 16 years and over

18,674 $885 91,713 $1,000 88.5 19,975 $898 94,341 $1,017 88.3

Men

11,301 941 49,610 1,115 84.4 11,934 957 50,994 1,131 84.6

Women

7,373 798 42,103 903 88.4 8,041 804 43,347 927 86.7

AGE

16 to 24 years

816 596 8,548 607 98.2 998 621 9,394 624 99.5

25 to 34 years

4,004 885 23,657 907 97.6 4,126 889 24,570 938 94.8

35 to 44 years

5,117 963 20,524 1,130 85.2 5,538 957 20,911 1,159 82.6

45 to 54 years

4,833 926 18,981 1,165 79.5 5,184 936 19,134 1,205 77.7

55 to 64 years

3,107 869 15,910 1,137 76.4 3,284 921 16,008 1,169 78.8

65 years and over

797 772 4,093 1,034 74.7 845 806 4,325 1,020 79.0

RACE AND HISPANIC OR
LATINO ETHNICITY(1)

White non-Hispanic or Latino

2,840 1,230 64,924 1,075 114.4 3,027 1,276 66,221 1,106 115.4

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

1,882 837 11,299 794 105.4 2,003 859 11,809 799 107.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

4,858 1,347 2,268 1,277 105.5 5,168 1,371 2,304 1,272 107.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

8,867 704 10,691 812 86.7 9,531 713 11,310 846 84.3

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over

17,858 909 83,166 1,057 86.0 18,977 921 84,947 1,091 84.4

Less than a high school diploma

3,210 601 2,489 655 91.8 3,538 610 2,495 669 91.2

High school graduates, no college(2)

4,183 702 19,970 801 87.6 4,495 735 20,365 826 89.0

Some college or associate degree

2,715 829 22,698 910 91.1 2,842 846 22,982 934 90.6

Bachelor's degree and higher(3)

7,750 1,492 38,009 1,409 105.9 8,102 1,521 39,105 1,440 105.6

Footnotes
(1) Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
(2) Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(3) Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Table 6. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by census region and division, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Census region and
division
2020 2021
Civilian
noninsti-
tutional
population
Civilian labor force Civilian
noninsti-
tutional
population
Civilian labor force
Total Participa-
tion rate
Employed Unemployed Total Participa-
tion rate
Employed Unemployed
Number Unem-
ployment
rate
Number Unem-
ployment
rate

FOREIGN BORN

Northeast

9,087 5,800 63.8 5,177 622 10.7 8,878 5,680 64.0 5,288 392 6.9

New England

2,019 1,352 66.9 1,212 139 10.3 1,996 1,345 67.4 1,263 83 6.2

Middle Atlantic

7,068 4,448 62.9 3,965 483 10.9 6,882 4,335 63.0 4,025 309 7.1

South

14,686 9,727 66.2 8,943 783 8.1 15,471 10,230 66.1 9,753 477 4.7

South Atlantic

8,649 5,732 66.3 5,246 486 8.5 9,010 5,944 66.0 5,684 260 4.4

East South Central

725 477 65.8 450 27 5.6 892 598 67.0 574 24 4.0

West South Central

5,312 3,518 66.2 3,247 271 7.7 5,570 3,689 66.2 3,496 193 5.2

Midwest

4,702 3,166 67.3 2,913 253 8.0 4,852 3,324 68.5 3,184 140 4.2

East North Central

3,456 2,270 65.7 2,073 197 8.7 3,654 2,453 67.1 2,347 106 4.3

West North Central

1,247 896 71.9 840 56 6.2 1,198 871 72.7 838 34 3.9

West

13,886 8,623 62.1 7,775 848 9.8 14,025 8,752 62.4 8,205 547 6.2

Mountain

2,709 1,770 65.3 1,612 157 8.9 2,781 1,788 64.3 1,693 95 5.3

Pacific

11,177 6,854 61.3 6,163 691 10.1 11,244 6,964 61.9 6,512 452 6.5

NATIVE BORN

Northeast

36,080 22,252 61.7 20,298 1,954 8.8 36,101 22,034 61.0 20,664 1,370 6.2

New England

10,156 6,502 64.0 5,997 505 7.8 10,167 6,453 63.5 6,106 347 5.4

Middle Atlantic

25,924 15,749 60.8 14,301 1,448 9.2 25,934 15,581 60.1 14,558 1,023 6.6

South

84,419 50,053 59.3 46,535 3,518 7.0 84,604 50,224 59.4 47,824 2,400 4.8

South Atlantic

44,082 25,978 58.9 24,211 1,767 6.8 44,216 26,171 59.2 24,992 1,179 4.5

East South Central

14,384 8,314 57.8 7,719 595 7.2 14,306 8,190 57.2 7,836 354 4.3

West South Central

25,954 15,762 60.7 14,605 1,156 7.3 26,082 15,863 60.8 14,996 867 5.5

Midwest

49,249 31,298 63.6 28,964 2,334 7.5 49,100 30,896 62.9 29,457 1,439 4.7

East North Central

33,738 20,996 62.2 19,237 1,759 8.4 33,488 20,624 61.6 19,565 1,059 5.1

West North Central

15,511 10,302 66.4 9,727 575 5.6 15,612 10,272 65.8 9,892 379 3.7

West

48,219 29,824 61.9 27,190 2,634 8.8 48,414 30,064 62.1 28,205 1,858 6.2

Mountain

16,983 10,745 63.3 9,944 802 7.5 17,295 10,936 63.2 10,387 549 5.0

Pacific

31,237 19,079 61.1 17,246 1,833 9.6 31,120 19,128 61.5 17,819 1,309 6.8

NOTE: The states (plus the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont); Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania); South Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia); East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee); West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas); East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin); West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota); Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming); Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Last Modified Date: May 18, 2022