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Proportion of families with an unemployed member decreased to 9.6 percent in 2013

April 29, 2014

In 2013, 9.6 percent of families included an unemployed person, down from 10.5 percent in 2012. Decreases were experienced by all race groups (White, Black or African American, Asian) and those of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

Percent of total families with at least one family member unemployed by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, annual averages, 2003–2013
CharacteristicPercent of families with at least one member unemployed
20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013

Total

8.17.47.06.46.37.812.012.411.510.59.6

White

7.16.66.15.65.67.111.111.310.49.58.5

Black or African American

13.712.712.711.410.812.817.419.218.916.816.0

Asian

9.46.76.25.25.46.311.411.310.99.27.8

Hispanic or Latino

11.110.29.08.08.511.016.917.416.314.512.9

Black and Hispanic families remained more likely to have an unemployed member in 2013 (16.0 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively) than White and Asian families (8.5 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively).

In 2013, two-thirds (67.6 percent) of families with an unemployed member also had at least one family member who was employed, essentially unchanged from 2012. Among families with an unemployed family member, 4.5 million, or 58.0 percent, also had at least one family member who was employed full time.

Among married-couple families with an unemployed member, the proportion of families with at least one employed family member was 79.4 percent in 2013, down from 80.2 percent in 2012. Among families with an unemployed family member, 56.4 percent of those maintained by men (no spouse present) had an employed member in 2013; for families maintained by women (no spouse present), the proportion was 47.4 percent. Both proportions increased from 2012.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Employment Characteristics of Families — 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑14‑0658. A family is a group of two or more persons residing together who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. The race or ethnicity of the family is determined by that of the householder. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.  

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Proportion of families with an unemployed member decreased to 9.6 percent in 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140429.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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