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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) Tuesday, May 20, 2025                                      USDL-25-0847

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 -- 2024


The unemployment rate for the foreign born in the United States was 4.2 percent in 2024, up
from 3.6 percent in 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate
of the native born was 4.0 percent in 2024, up from 3.6 percent in 2023. 

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 people 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 people in these categories.
For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note in this news release.

Highlights from the 2024 data:

 --From 2023 to 2024, the unemployment rate of the foreign born increased to 4.2 percent, and
   the jobless rate for the native born increased to 4.0 percent. (See table 1.)

 --In 2024, the foreign born accounted for 19.2 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, up
   from 18.6 percent in 2023. (See table 1.)

 --People who are of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity continued to account for nearly
   one-half (48.7 percent) of the foreign-born labor force in 2024, and those who are Asian
   accounted for about one-quarter (24.6 percent). (See table 1.) (Data in this news release
   for people who are White, Black or African American, or Asian do not include those of
   Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Data on people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are presented
   separately.)

 --Foreign-born men continued to participate in the labor force at a considerably higher rate
   in 2024 (77.3 percent) than their native-born counterparts (65.9 percent). By contrast,
   56.1 percent of foreign-born women were labor force participants, lower than the
   participation rate of 57.8 percent for native-born women. (See table 1.)

 --In 2024, 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
   $1,001 in 2024, compared with $1,190 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 2024, men accounted for 57.1 percent of the foreign-born labor force,
compared with 51.9 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 (70.3 percent) was higher than for the
native-born labor force (62.5 percent). Labor force participation typically is highest among
people in that age bracket. (See table 1.)

In 2024, nearly one-half (48.7 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic or
Latino, and about one-quarter (24.6 percent) was Asian. Those of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
and those who are Asian made up much lower percentages of the native-born labor force, at 12.7
percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. People who are White comprised 15.0 percent of the
foreign-born labor force and those who are Black or African American comprised 10.6 percent,
compared with 69.0 percent and 12.5 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 18.1 percent in 2024, over five times higher than
the figure for the native-born labor force, at 3.2 percent. The foreign born were less likely
than the native born to have some college or an associate degree--15.0 percent versus 27.0
percent. The proportions of foreign-born and native-born high school graduates (25.7 percent
versus 24.5 percent) and those with a bachelor's degree or higher (41.3 percent versus 45.3
percent) were more similar.

Labor Force

In 2024, the foreign born accounted for 19.2 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, up from
18.6 percent in 2023. In 2024, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was
little changed at 66.5 percent; the rate for foreign-born women held at 56.1 percent, while
the rate for foreign-born men changed little over the year at 77.3 percent. The labor force
participation rate of the native born changed little at 61.7 percent. The rates for both
native-born men (65.9 percent) and women (57.8 percent) changed little over the year. (See
table 1.)

Labor force participation rates for the foreign born varied across the major race and
ethnicity groups in 2024, ranging from 61.6 percent for foreign-born people who are White to
70.3 percent for those who are Black or African American. Participation rates for the native
born showed less variation across the major race and ethnicity groups, ranging from 60.9
percent for native-born people who are White to 66.0 percent for those who are Hispanic or
Latino.

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born
people who are Black or African American decreased to 70.3 percent in 2024. The rates for
foreign-born people who are White, Asian, and those who are Hispanic or Latino showed little
change over the year. Among the native born, the participation rate of Asians increased to
65.8 percent. The rates for native-born people who are White, Black or African American, and
Hispanic or Latino changed little from 2023 to 2024. 

In 2024, foreign-born mothers with children under age 18 were less likely to be labor force
participants than were native-born mothers--64.3 percent versus 77.1 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 50.0 percent, 19.5 percentage
points below that for native-born mothers (69.5 percent). By comparison, the labor force
participation rate of foreign-born mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (69.7 percent) was 11.2
percentage points lower than that for native-born mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (80.9
percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign-born and native-born fathers with
children under age 18 were the same in 2024, at 93.5 percent. (See table 2.)

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West
(24.4 percent) and in the Northeast (22.7 percent) in 2024 than for the nation as a whole
(19.2 percent). In contrast, the foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force in
the Midwest (10.7 percent). The share in the South (19.0 percent) was similar to the labor
force share for the nation as a whole. (See table 6.) 

Employment

In 2024, the employment-population ratio of the foreign born edged down to 63.7 percent. The
ratios for foreign-born men and women changed little, at 74.4 percent and 53.4 percent,
respectively. The employment-population ratio of the native born decreased to 59.3 percent. In
2024, the ratio for native-born men decreased to 63.1 percent, while the ratio for native-born
women changed little at 55.6 percent. (See table 1.) 
 
Unemployment

From 2023 to 2024, the unemployment rate of the foreign born increased to 4.2 percent. For the
native born, the jobless rate increased to 4.0 percent. 

The unemployment rates for both foreign-born men and women increased in 2024, to 3.8 percent
and 4.8 percent, respectively. The jobless rates for native-born men and women also increased
(to 4.2 percent and 3.7 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, the unemployment rates for people who are Black or African
American (5.1 percent) and Hispanic or Latino (4.7 percent) were highest, followed by the
rates of those who are White (3.7 percent) and Asian (3.1 percent). Among the native born,
jobless rates were highest for people who are Black or African American (6.3 percent),
followed by those who are Hispanic or Latino (5.4 percent), Asian (4.3 percent), and White
(3.2 percent).

Occupation

In 2024, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in
service occupations (22.0 percent versus 15.1 percent); natural resources, construction, and
maintenance occupations (13.9 percent versus 7.7 percent); and production, transportation, and
material moving occupations (15.5 percent versus 11.6 percent). Foreign-born workers were less
likely than native-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related
occupations (35.4 percent versus 45.9 percent) and in sales and office occupations (13.2
percent versus 19.8 percent). (See table 4.)

Among employed men, the disparity was especially great in natural resources, construction, and
maintenance occupations--22.7 percent of the foreign born worked in this occupational field in
2024, versus 14.1 percent of the native born. The occupational disparity for women was
pronounced in service occupations--30.6 percent of the foreign born worked in that occupation
group, compared with 17.8 percent of the native born. By contrast, both 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 2024, median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers
($1,001) were 84.1 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($1,190). Among
men, median weekly earnings for the foreign born ($1,077) were 81.8 percent of the earnings of
the native born ($1,316). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($911) were 84.8 percent of
the earnings of native-born women ($1,074). (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 or Latino foreign-born full-time wage and
salary workers earned 81.1 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2024. White
foreign-born workers earned more than their native-born counterparts, by 16.4 percent.
Earnings of Black or African American and Asian foreign-born workers were little different
from those of their native-born counterparts.

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2024,
foreign-born workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma earned $717 per
week, while those with a bachelor's degree and higher earned 2.4 times as much--$1,738 per
week. Among the native born, those with a bachelor's degree and higher earned 2.1 times as
much as those with less than a high school diploma--$1,679 per week versus $789 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 are foreign born
($821) earned 85.3 percent as much as their native-born counterparts ($962) in 2024. However,
among those with a bachelor's degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born workers ($1,738)
were slightly higher than the earnings of native-born workers ($1,679).




Technical Note


   The estimates in this news 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 news 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 news release are
presented below.

   Foreign born. The foreign born are people 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 people 
in these categories.

   Native born. The native born are people 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 news release, the data are presented
for non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, and Asians and for people of
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. These four groups are mutually exclusive
but not exhaustive. Other race groups (including people 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 news release differs from that
which appears in most analyses of CPS labor force data because people
of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are separated from the race groups.
Because people 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 news 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 people 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.
People 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. People 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
people 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 people,
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, 2023-2024 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2023 2024
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

266,942 167,116 62.6 161,037 6,080 3.6 268,571 168,106 62.6 161,346 6,761 4.0

Men

130,476 88,877 68.1 85,500 3,377 3.8 130,939 88,974 68.0 85,313 3,661 4.1

Women

136,466 78,239 57.3 75,537 2,702 3.5 137,633 79,132 57.5 76,033 3,100 3.9

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over

46,651 31,051 66.6 29,932 1,119 3.6 48,497 32,263 66.5 30,908 1,355 4.2

Men

22,840 17,704 77.5 17,091 613 3.5 23,806 18,408 77.3 17,717 692 3.8

Women

23,811 13,347 56.1 12,841 506 3.8 24,691 13,854 56.1 13,191 663 4.8

Age

16 to 24 years

3,698 2,037 55.1 1,880 157 7.7 3,935 2,095 53.2 1,889 205 9.8

25 to 34 years

7,432 5,905 79.5 5,655 250 4.2 7,641 6,053 79.2 5,741 311 5.1

35 to 44 years

10,014 8,097 80.9 7,841 257 3.2 10,347 8,461 81.8 8,162 299 3.5

45 to 54 years

9,545 7,817 81.9 7,589 228 2.9 9,943 8,158 82.0 7,884 275 3.4

55 to 64 years

7,678 5,412 70.5 5,245 167 3.1 7,961 5,608 70.4 5,405 203 3.6

65 years and over

8,283 1,783 21.5 1,722 61 3.4 8,671 1,888 21.8 1,827 61 3.2

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity(1)

White non-Hispanic or Latino

7,850 4,766 60.7 4,612 155 3.2 7,869 4,848 61.6 4,670 178 3.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

4,562 3,324 72.9 3,197 126 3.8 4,868 3,421 70.3 3,246 175 5.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

11,930 7,789 65.3 7,575 214 2.8 12,310 7,928 64.4 7,682 247 3.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

21,696 14,790 68.2 14,180 610 4.1 22,867 15,696 68.6 14,956 740 4.7

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over

42,953 29,015 67.5 28,052 962 3.3 44,562 30,168 67.7 29,019 1,149 3.8

Less than a high school diploma

9,315 5,371 57.7 5,129 241 4.5 9,466 5,454 57.6 5,162 292 5.4

High school graduates, no college(2)

11,299 7,338 64.9 7,067 271 3.7 11,796 7,750 65.7 7,427 323 4.2

Some college or associate degree

6,441 4,378 68.0 4,250 127 2.9 6,634 4,517 68.1 4,367 150 3.3

Bachelor's degree and higher(3)

15,897 11,928 75.0 11,606 322 2.7 16,666 12,447 74.7 12,063 383 3.1

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over

220,291 136,065 61.8 131,104 4,961 3.6 220,074 135,844 61.7 130,437 5,406 4.0

Men

107,636 71,173 66.1 68,409 2,764 3.9 107,133 70,565 65.9 67,596 2,969 4.2

Women

112,655 64,892 57.6 62,695 2,197 3.4 112,942 65,278 57.8 62,841 2,437 3.7

Age

16 to 24 years

35,641 20,092 56.4 18,492 1,600 8.0 35,038 19,683 56.2 17,944 1,739 8.8

25 to 34 years

37,095 31,398 84.6 30,182 1,216 3.9 36,786 31,129 84.6 29,854 1,275 4.1

35 to 44 years

33,440 28,333 84.7 27,559 775 2.7 33,834 28,942 85.5 28,035 907 3.1

45 to 54 years

30,414 24,990 82.2 24,397 593 2.4 30,091 24,779 82.3 24,155 624 2.5

55 to 64 years

33,724 21,839 64.8 21,317 522 2.4 33,260 21,559 64.8 21,001 558 2.6

65 years and over

49,977 9,412 18.8 9,157 255 2.7 51,065 9,751 19.1 9,448 303 3.1

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity(1)

White non-Hispanic or Latino

154,634 94,343 61.0 91,617 2,726 2.9 154,017 93,744 60.9 90,756 2,987 3.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

27,814 17,045 61.3 16,039 1,006 5.9 27,814 17,042 61.3 15,976 1,066 6.3

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

5,181 3,343 64.5 3,232 111 3.3 5,146 3,388 65.8 3,243 145 4.3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

25,836 17,027 65.9 16,162 865 5.1 26,055 17,194 66.0 16,271 923 5.4

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over

184,650 115,973 62.8 112,612 3,361 2.9 185,037 116,160 62.8 112,493 3,667 3.2

Less than a high school diploma

10,166 3,810 37.5 3,540 270 7.1 9,828 3,698 37.6 3,428 271 7.3

High school graduates, no college(2)

52,120 28,590 54.9 27,462 1,127 3.9 51,909 28,506 54.9 27,298 1,209 4.2

Some college or associate degree

50,485 31,425 62.2 30,463 962 3.1 50,353 31,322 62.2 30,260 1,062 3.4

Bachelor's degree and higher(3)

71,880 52,149 72.5 51,147 1,002 1.9 72,946 52,633 72.2 51,508 1,125 2.1

Footnotes
(1) Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
(2) Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(3) Includes people 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, 2023-2024 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2023 2024
Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

15,554 7,375 8,179 15,862 7,506 8,356

Civilian labor force

12,166 6,906 5,259 12,388 7,019 5,369

Participation rate

78.2 93.6 64.3 78.1 93.5 64.3

Employed

11,793 6,715 5,079 11,922 6,822 5,100

Employment-population ratio

75.8 91.0 62.1 75.2 90.9 61.0

Unemployed

372 191 181 467 197 269

Unemployment rate

3.1 2.8 3.4 3.8 2.8 5.0

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population

9,390 4,423 4,966 9,664 4,514 5,150

Civilian labor force

7,514 4,098 3,416 7,783 4,192 3,591

Participation rate

80.0 92.6 68.8 80.5 92.9 69.7

Employed

7,291 3,985 3,307 7,495 4,073 3,422

Employment-population ratio

77.7 90.1 66.6 77.6 90.2 66.4

Unemployed

222 113 110 288 119 169

Unemployment rate

3.0 2.7 3.2 3.7 2.8 4.7

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population

6,164 2,952 3,212 6,198 2,992 3,206

Civilian labor force

4,652 2,809 1,843 4,606 2,828 1,778

Participation rate

75.5 95.2 57.4 74.3 94.5 55.5

Employed

4,502 2,730 1,772 4,427 2,749 1,678

Employment-population ratio

73.0 92.5 55.2 71.4 91.9 52.3

Unemployed

150 79 71 178 79 100

Unemployment rate

3.2 2.8 3.9 3.9 2.8 5.6

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population

3,250 1,557 1,693 3,312 1,609 1,702

Civilian labor force

2,382 1,477 905 2,370 1,519 852

Participation rate

73.3 94.8 53.5 71.6 94.4 50.0

Employed

2,304 1,437 866 2,277 1,478 798

Employment-population ratio

70.9 92.3 51.2 68.7 91.9 46.9

Unemployed

79 40 39 94 41 53

Unemployment rate

3.3 2.7 4.3 4.0 2.7 6.3

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

31,098 15,465 15,632 32,635 16,300 16,335

Civilian labor force

18,886 10,798 8,087 19,874 11,389 8,485

Participation rate

60.7 69.8 51.7 60.9 69.9 51.9

Employed

18,139 10,376 7,763 18,986 10,895 8,091

Employment-population ratio

58.3 67.1 49.7 58.2 66.8 49.5

Unemployed

747 422 325 888 494 394

Unemployment rate

4.0 3.9 4.0 4.5 4.3 4.6

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

47,006 21,095 25,911 46,364 20,703 25,661

Civilian labor force

39,638 19,673 19,965 39,154 19,364 19,790

Participation rate

84.3 93.3 77.1 84.4 93.5 77.1

Employed

38,664 19,285 19,378 38,088 18,924 19,164

Employment-population ratio

82.3 91.4 74.8 82.1 91.4 74.7

Unemployed

974 387 587 1,066 440 626

Unemployment rate

2.5 2.0 2.9 2.7 2.3 3.2

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population

26,483 11,863 14,619 26,314 11,671 14,643

Civilian labor force

22,764 10,951 11,814 22,635 10,783 11,852

Participation rate

86.0 92.3 80.8 86.0 92.4 80.9

Employed

22,255 10,740 11,515 22,054 10,537 11,517

Employment-population ratio

84.0 90.5 78.8 83.8 90.3 78.7

Unemployed

509 210 299 580 246 335

Unemployment rate

2.2 1.9 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.8

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population

20,523 9,231 11,292 20,051 9,032 11,018

Civilian labor force

16,873 8,722 8,151 16,519 8,581 7,938

Participation rate

82.2 94.5 72.2 82.4 95.0 72.0

Employed

16,408 8,545 7,863 16,033 8,387 7,647

Employment-population ratio

80.0 92.6 69.6 80.0 92.9 69.4

Unemployed

465 177 288 486 195 291

Unemployment rate

2.8 2.0 3.5 2.9 2.3 3.7

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population

11,892 5,421 6,471 11,682 5,321 6,361

Civilian labor force

9,645 5,139 4,506 9,485 5,062 4,423

Participation rate

81.1 94.8 69.6 81.2 95.1 69.5

Employed

9,371 5,034 4,337 9,214 4,945 4,269

Employment-population ratio

78.8 92.9 67.0 78.9 92.9 67.1

Unemployed

275 105 169 272 117 154

Unemployment rate

2.8 2.0 3.8 2.9 2.3 3.5

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population

173,285 86,541 86,744 173,710 86,430 87,280

Civilian labor force

96,427 51,500 44,927 96,690 51,201 45,488

Participation rate

55.6 59.5 51.8 55.7 59.2 52.1

Employed

92,440 49,123 43,317 92,350 48,672 43,677

Employment-population ratio

53.3 56.8 49.9 53.2 56.3 50.0

Unemployed

3,987 2,377 1,610 4,340 2,529 1,811

Unemployment rate

4.1 4.6 3.6 4.5 4.9 4.0

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, 2023-2024 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2023 2024
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

564 1,616 1,352 3,822 475 1,637 1,343 3,925

Civilian labor force

241 837 765 2,682 195 862 759 2,784

Participation rate

42.7 51.8 56.6 70.2 41.0 52.7 56.5 70.9

Employed

232 811 739 2,608 184 831 739 2,695

Employment-population ratio

41.1 50.2 54.6 68.2 38.8 50.7 55.0 68.7

Unemployed

9 26 26 74 10 32 21 89

Unemployment rate

3.7 3.1 3.5 2.8 5.3 3.7 2.7 3.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

402 1,167 906 1,654 431 1,248 957 1,727

Civilian labor force

207 818 698 1,382 217 863 717 1,395

Participation rate

51.5 70.1 77.0 83.5 50.3 69.1 74.9 80.7

Employed

197 779 679 1,343 202 809 681 1,345

Employment-population ratio

49.1 66.8 74.9 81.2 46.9 64.8 71.2 77.9

Unemployed

10 39 19 38 14 53 36 50

Unemployment rate

4.7 4.7 2.7 2.8 6.7 6.2 5.0 3.6

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

964 2,038 1,317 6,773 972 2,084 1,376 6,989

Civilian labor force

367 1,117 853 5,063 372 1,140 853 5,168

Participation rate

38.1 54.8 64.8 74.8 38.3 54.7 62.0 73.9

Employed

353 1,089 831 4,938 362 1,111 829 5,031

Employment-population ratio

36.6 53.4 63.1 72.9 37.2 53.3 60.3 72.0

Unemployed

14 28 23 125 10 29 23 137

Unemployment rate

3.9 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population

7,321 6,334 2,751 3,427 7,525 6,687 2,833 3,816

Civilian labor force

4,527 4,481 1,987 2,635 4,644 4,806 2,100 2,947

Participation rate

61.8 70.7 72.2 76.9 61.7 71.9 74.1 77.2

Employed

4,320 4,306 1,931 2,555 4,388 4,601 2,031 2,846

Employment-population ratio

59.0 68.0 70.2 74.5 58.3 68.8 71.7 74.6

Unemployed

207 175 56 80 256 204 69 100

Unemployment rate

4.6 3.9 2.8 3.1 5.5 4.3 3.3 3.4

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

5,933 36,398 35,981 56,710 5,679 36,043 35,911 57,202

Civilian labor force

2,150 18,934 21,395 40,138 2,043 18,819 21,204 40,177

Participation rate

36.2 52.0 59.5 70.8 36.0 52.2 59.0 70.2

Employed

2,029 18,344 20,861 39,406 1,923 18,164 20,595 39,390

Employment-population ratio

34.2 50.4 58.0 69.5 33.9 50.4 57.4 68.9

Unemployed

121 589 535 732 120 655 609 787

Unemployment rate

5.6 3.1 2.5 1.8 5.9 3.5 2.9 2.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

1,845 7,717 6,837 6,495 1,815 7,707 6,900 6,645

Civilian labor force

634 4,391 4,503 4,974 599 4,323 4,679 5,079

Participation rate

34.4 56.9 65.9 76.6 33.0 56.1 67.8 76.4

Employed

559 4,104 4,295 4,861 531 4,018 4,458 4,930

Employment-population ratio

30.3 53.2 62.8 74.8 29.3 52.1 64.6 74.2

Unemployed

75 287 208 113 68 305 221 150

Unemployment rate

11.9 6.5 4.6 2.3 11.3 7.1 4.7 2.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population

151 533 671 2,353 141 544 623 2,405

Civilian labor force

66 321 458 1,887 62 332 428 1,963

Participation rate

44.1 60.2 68.2 80.2 44.3 61.1 68.7 81.6

Employed

66 310 440 1,843 60 324 404 1,907

Employment-population ratio

43.9 58.3 65.6 78.3 42.3 59.6 64.8 79.3

Unemployed

0 10 17 45 3 8 24 56

Unemployment rate

0.3 3.1 3.7 2.4 4.5 2.5 5.6 2.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population

1,886 5,980 5,335 4,801 1,863 6,079 5,265 5,020

Civilian labor force

836 4,032 3,981 3,946 870 4,078 3,940 4,081

Participation rate

44.3 67.4 74.6 82.2 46.7 67.1 74.8 81.3

Employed

778 3,846 3,833 3,864 806 3,901 3,781 3,982

Employment-population ratio

41.2 64.3 71.8 80.5 43.3 64.2 71.8 79.3

Unemployed

58 186 148 82 64 177 159 100

Unemployment rate

7.0 4.6 3.7 2.1 7.4 4.3 4.0 2.4

Footnotes
(1) Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes people 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 people 16 years and over by occupation and sex, 2024 annual averages [Percent distribution]
Occupation Foreign born Native born
Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)

30,908 17,717 13,191 130,437 67,596 62,841

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

35.4 32.6 39.0 45.9 41.3 50.7

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

14.0 14.1 14.0 20.1 20.9 19.3

Management occupations

9.8 10.7 8.5 13.5 15.0 12.0

Business and financial operations occupations

4.2 3.4 5.4 6.6 5.9 7.4

Professional and related occupations

21.3 18.6 25.0 25.7 20.4 31.4

Computer and mathematical occupations

5.5 6.9 3.6 3.6 5.1 1.9

Architecture and engineering occupations

2.3 3.2 1.1 2.2 3.5 0.7

Life, physical, and social science occupations

1.3 1.2 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.2

Community and social service occupations

1.0 0.6 1.6 2.0 1.2 2.9

Legal occupations

0.6 0.3 0.9 1.3 1.2 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations

3.8 2.1 6.1 6.4 3.2 9.9

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

1.4 1.3 1.6 2.3 2.2 2.5

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

5.4 3.0 8.7 6.8 3.0 10.8

Service occupations

22.0 15.6 30.6 15.1 12.6 17.8

Healthcare support occupations

4.2 1.1 8.4 3.2 0.9 5.6

Protective service occupations

0.9 1.1 0.5 2.2 3.1 1.1

Food preparation and serving related occupations

6.6 6.0 7.5 4.6 3.9 5.4

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

7.4 6.2 9.0 2.7 3.4 1.8

Personal care and service occupations

2.9 1.1 5.3 2.4 1.1 3.8

Sales and office occupations

13.2 9.8 17.7 19.8 14.9 25.0

Sales and related occupations

6.7 5.9 7.8 9.2 9.3 9.1

Office and administrative support occupations

6.5 4.0 9.9 10.6 5.6 15.9

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

13.9 22.7 2.1 7.7 14.1 0.9

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

1.3 1.6 0.8 0.4 0.6 0.3

Construction and extraction occupations

9.8 16.4 1.0 4.2 7.8 0.4

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

2.8 4.7 0.2 3.1 5.7 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

15.5 19.2 10.6 11.6 17.1 5.5

Production occupations

6.4 6.8 5.7 4.6 6.6 2.4

Transportation and material moving occupations

9.2 12.4 4.8 7.0 10.6 3.1

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


Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native born by selected characteristics, 2023-2024 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic 2023 2024
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

22,675 $987 98,232 $1,140 86.6 23,319 $1,001 96,734 $1,190 84.1

Men

13,447 1,051 53,253 1,238 84.9 13,781 1,077 52,160 1,316 81.8

Women

9,228 899 44,978 1,025 87.7 9,538 911 44,573 1,074 84.8

AGE

16 to 24 years

1,178 672 10,247 718 93.6 1,274 707 9,544 749 94.4

25 to 34 years

4,492 992 25,257 1,054 94.1 4,594 995 24,659 1,117 89.1

35 to 44 years

6,184 1,059 22,518 1,301 81.4 6,395 1,085 22,817 1,341 80.9

45 to 54 years

5,839 1,033 19,772 1,326 77.9 5,931 1,062 19,479 1,396 76.1

55 to 64 years

3,905 976 16,126 1,266 77.1 4,042 1,013 15,776 1,319 76.8

65 years and over

1,077 898 4,312 1,131 79.4 1,084 926 4,459 1,206 76.8

RACE AND HISPANIC OR
LATINO ETHNICITY(1)

White non-Hispanic or Latino

3,275 1,380 67,748 1,224 112.7 3,240 1,483 66,510 1,274 116.4

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

2,482 971 12,893 919 105.7 2,510 971 12,561 966 100.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

5,904 1,503 2,489 1,464 102.7 6,003 1,532 2,404 1,541 99.4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

10,716 792 12,117 947 83.6 11,298 809 12,274 997 81.1

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over

21,497 1,012 87,984 1,206 83.9 22,046 1,027 87,190 1,259 81.6

Less than a high school diploma

3,694 692 2,353 748 92.5 3,813 717 2,287 789 90.9

High school graduates, no college(2)

5,298 809 21,029 919 88.0 5,538 821 20,594 962 85.3

Some college or associate degree

3,109 944 23,418 1,027 91.9 3,133 954 22,871 1,074 88.8

Bachelor's degree and higher(3)

9,397 1,637 41,185 1,602 102.2 9,562 1,738 41,437 1,679 103.5

Footnotes
(1) Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
(2) Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(3) Includes people 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, 2023-2024 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Census region and
division
2023 2024
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

9,882 6,564 66.4 6,300 264 4.0 9,967 6,634 66.6 6,346 288 4.3

New England

2,217 1,524 68.7 1,469 55 3.6 2,181 1,524 69.9 1,459 65 4.3

Middle Atlantic

7,665 5,040 65.7 4,831 209 4.1 7,786 5,110 65.6 4,887 223 4.4

South

16,885 11,451 67.8 11,097 354 3.1 17,847 12,117 67.9 11,679 438 3.6

South Atlantic

9,981 6,773 67.9 6,605 168 2.5 10,391 6,999 67.4 6,785 214 3.1

East South Central

867 591 68.2 568 23 3.9 985 682 69.2 650 32 4.7

West South Central

6,037 4,088 67.7 3,925 163 4.0 6,472 4,437 68.6 4,245 192 4.3

Midwest

5,149 3,547 68.9 3,422 125 3.5 5,459 3,789 69.4 3,592 197 5.2

East North Central

3,859 2,617 67.8 2,520 97 3.7 3,971 2,679 67.5 2,527 152 5.7

West North Central

1,290 930 72.1 902 28 3.0 1,489 1,110 74.5 1,065 45 4.0

West

14,735 9,489 64.4 9,113 376 4.0 15,223 9,722 63.9 9,291 431 4.4

Mountain

2,842 1,876 66.0 1,803 73 3.9 3,015 2,012 66.7 1,926 85 4.2

Pacific

11,893 7,613 64.0 7,310 303 4.0 12,208 7,711 63.2 7,365 346 4.5

NATIVE BORN

Northeast

36,458 22,522 61.8 21,679 844 3.7 36,430 22,553 61.9 21,683 869 3.9

New England

10,287 6,498 63.2 6,291 207 3.2 10,374 6,669 64.3 6,435 234 3.5

Middle Atlantic

26,171 16,024 61.2 15,388 636 4.0 26,056 15,883 61.0 15,248 635 4.0

South

85,967 51,755 60.2 50,007 1,748 3.4 86,063 51,582 59.9 49,691 1,891 3.7

South Atlantic

44,751 26,805 59.9 25,965 840 3.1 44,903 26,607 59.3 25,673 933 3.5

East South Central

14,705 8,381 57.0 8,111 270 3.2 14,673 8,425 57.4 8,126 299 3.5

West South Central

26,511 16,569 62.5 15,931 638 3.9 26,488 16,550 62.5 15,892 659 4.0

Midwest

49,588 31,633 63.8 30,548 1,085 3.4 49,484 31,652 64.0 30,429 1,223 3.9

East North Central

33,771 21,165 62.7 20,371 794 3.8 33,796 21,333 63.1 20,438 895 4.2

West North Central

15,817 10,468 66.2 10,177 290 2.8 15,688 10,319 65.8 9,990 329 3.2

West

48,278 30,155 62.5 28,870 1,285 4.3 48,097 30,057 62.5 28,634 1,423 4.7

Mountain

17,633 11,279 64.0 10,880 399 3.5 17,637 11,208 63.5 10,767 441 3.9

Pacific

30,645 18,876 61.6 17,990 886 4.7 30,460 18,849 61.9 17,867 982 5.2

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 20, 2025