Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-born Workers News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, May 19, 2026                                      USDL-26-0760
 
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 -- 2025


The unemployment rate for the foreign born in the United States was 4.2 percent in 2025,
unchanged from a year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless
rate of the native born was 4.3 percent in 2025, up from 4.0 percent in 2024.

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.

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________
|											      |
|             Federal Government Shutdown Impact on Foreign-born Workers Data		      |
|											      |
| The Current Population Survey (CPS) for October 2025 was not collected due to the federal   |
| government shutdown. As a result, annual estimates for 2025 household survey data were      |
| produced using 11-month averages that exclude October. Consequently, 2025 annual estimates  |
| are not strictly comparable with annual averages for other years. 			      |
|                                                                                             |
| For information about the impact of the federal government shutdown on CPS data, see	      |
| www.bls.gov/cps/methods/2025-federal-government-shutdown-impact-cps.htm.		      |
|_____________________________________________________________________________________________|


Highlights from the 2025 data:
 
 --From 2024 to 2025, the unemployment rate of the foreign born remained at 4.2 percent, while
   the jobless rate for the native born increased to 4.3 percent. (See table 1.) 

 --In 2025, the foreign born accounted for 19.1 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force. (See
   table 1.)

 --People who are of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity accounted for nearly one-half (47.3 percent)
   of the foreign-born labor force in 2025, and those who are Asian accounted for about 
   one-quarter (25.9 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 2025 (76.9 percent) than their native-born counterparts (65.8 percent). By contrast,
   56.2 percent of foreign-born women were labor force participants, lower than the
   participation rate of 57.5 percent for native-born women. (See table 1.)

 --In 2025, 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
   $1,059 in 2025, compared with $1,236 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 2025, men accounted for 56.6 percent of the foreign-born labor
force, higher than native born, at 52.1 percent. By age, the proportion of the foreign-born
labor force made up of 25- to 54-year-olds (70.1 percent) was higher than for the native-born
labor force (62.7 percent). Labor force participation typically is highest among people in
that age bracket. (See table 1.) 

In 2025, nearly one-half (47.3 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic or
Latino, and about one-quarter (25.9 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
13.8 percent and 2.8 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 10.7 percent,
compared with 67.7 percent and 12.4 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 17.0 percent in 2025, about 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 (15.2 percent versus 26.8
percent) and were less likely to have a bachelor's degree or higher (43.2 percent versus 45.5
percent). The proportions of foreign-born and native-born high school graduates (24.7 percent
versus 24.5 percent) were more similar. 

Labor Force

In 2025, the foreign born accounted for 19.1 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force. The
labor force participation rate of the foreign born was little changed at 66.3 percent in 2025.
The rate for foreign-born men edged down to 76.9 percent and the rate for foreign-born women
changed little over the year at 56.2 percent. The labor force participation rate of the native
born (61.6 percent) declined over the year, after accounting for the effects of population
controls. The rate for native-born men (65.8 percent) was little changed over the year, while
the rate for native-born women declined to 57.5 percent. (See table 1.)

Labor force participation rates for the foreign born varied across the major race and
ethnicity groups in 2025, ranging from 61.5 percent for foreign-born people who are White to
70.4 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 60.5
percent for native-born people who are White to 66.7 percent for those who are Asian. 

In 2025, the labor force participation rates for all foreign-born major race and ethnicity
groups showed little change over the year. Among the native born, the participation rates of
people who are White and people who are Black or African American declined over the year (60.5
percent and 60.6 percent, respectively). The rates for native-born people who are Asian and
people who are Hispanic or Latino changed little from 2024 to 2025. 

In 2025, foreign-born mothers with children under age 18 were less likely to be labor force
participants than were native-born mothers--64.8 percent versus 76.9 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 52.4 percent, 16.1 percentage
points below that for native-born mothers (68.5 percent). By comparison, the labor force
participation rate of foreign-born mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (70.3 percent) was 10.7
percentage points lower than that for native-born mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (81.0
percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign-born and native-born fathers with
children under age 18 were more similar, at 93.9 percent and 93.6 percent, respectively. (See
table 2.) 

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West (24.5
percent) and in the Northeast (22.7 percent) in 2025 than for the nation as a whole (19.1
percent). By contrast, the foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force in the
South (18.7 percent) and in the Midwest (10.8 percent). (See table 6.)

Employment

In 2025, the employment-population ratio of the foreign born was 63.5 percent, little changed
from the year prior. The ratio for foreign-born men edged down to 73.9 percent while the ratio
for foreign-born women changed little at 53.7 percent. The employment-population ratio of the
native born decreased to 58.9 percent in 2025. The ratio for both native-born men and women
decreased (to 62.9 percent and 55.2 percent, respectively). (See table 1.) 

Unemployment

The unemployment rate of the foreign born was 4.2 percent in 2025, unchanged from the year
prior. For the native born, the jobless rate increased to 4.3 percent over the year. 

The unemployment rate for both foreign-born men (3.9 percent) and foreign-born women (4.5
percent) changed little in 2025. The jobless rates for native-born men and women increased (to
4.5 percent and 4.1 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 rate for people who are Black or African
American (5.9 percent) was higher than the rates for people who are Hispanic or Latino (4.4
percent), White (3.9 percent), and Asian (3.3 percent). Among the native born, jobless rates
were highest for people who are Black or African American (7.0 percent), followed by those who
are Hispanic or Latino (5.7 percent), Asian (4.2 percent), and White (3.4 percent). 

Occupation

In 2025, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in
service occupations (21.2 percent versus 15.6 percent); natural resources, construction, and
maintenance occupations (13.3 percent versus 7.9 percent); and production, transportation, and
material moving occupations (15.1 percent versus 11.4 percent). Foreign-born workers were less
likely than native-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related
occupations (36.8 percent versus 45.2 percent) and in sales and office occupations (13.6
percent versus 19.9 percent). (See table 4.) 

Among employed men, the disparity was especially great in natural resources, construction, and
maintenance occupations--21.9 percent of the foreign born worked in this occupational field in
2025, versus 14.2 percent of the native born. The occupational disparity for women was
pronounced in service occupations--29.9 percent of the foreign born worked in that occupation
group, compared with 18.4 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 2025, median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers
($1,059) were 85.7 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($1,236). Among
men, median weekly earnings for the foreign born ($1,153) were 84.5 percent of the earnings
of the native born ($1,364). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($960) were 85.9 percent
of the earnings of native-born women ($1,118). (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 79.9 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2025, at $841
and $1,053, respectively. Both White and Asian foreign-born workers earned more than their
native-born counterparts, by 14.9 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively. Earnings of Black or
African American foreign-born workers were similar to those of their native-born counterparts. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. For both
groups, those with a bachelor's degree and higher earned more than twice as much as those with  
less than a high school diploma. In 2025, foreign-born workers age 25 and over with less than
a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $745 per week, while those with a
bachelor's degree and higher earned $1,762 per week. Among the native born, those with less
than a high school diploma earned $805 per week, while those with a bachelor's degree and
higher earned $1,735 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
earned 85.5 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2025 ($851 versus $995 per
week). However, among those with a bachelor's degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born
workers were higher than the earnings of native-born workers ($1,762 versus $1,735 per week).

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/methods/reliability-of-CPS-estimates.htm.

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 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 of unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor
force. 
 
   Labor force participation rate. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percentage
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.