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Employment–population ratio up over the year; labor force participation rate changed little

March 13, 2019

The employment–population ratio for people age 16 and over was 60.7 percent in February 2019, unchanged from the previous month but up by 0.3 percentage point over the year. The labor force participation rate, at 63.2 percent in February 2019, was also unchanged over the month and has changed little over the year.

Employment–population ratio and labor force participation rate, by selected age group, seasonally adjusted, February 2009–February 2019 
Month Age 16 and over 16 to 24 25 to 54 55 and over
Employment–population ratio Labor force partcipation rate Employment–population ratio Labor force partcipation rate Employment–population ratio Labor force partcipation rate Employment–population ratio Labor force partcipation rate

Feb 2009

60.3% 65.8% 48.8% 58.1% 76.7% 82.8% 37.6% 39.9%

Mar 2009

59.9 65.6 48.2 57.7 76.2 82.6 37.3 39.9

Apr 2009

59.8 65.7 48.2 57.9 76.2 82.8 37.3 39.8

May 2009

59.6 65.7 47.4 57.5 75.9 82.9 37.5 40.2

Jun 2009

59.4 65.7 47.1 57.5 75.9 82.9 37.4 40.1

Jul 2009

59.3 65.5 47.0 57.2 75.8 82.8 37.3 40.0

Aug 2009

59.1 65.4 46.5 56.7 75.6 82.8 37.3 40.0

Sep 2009

58.7 65.1 45.8 56.1 75.1 82.5 37.2 39.9

Oct 2009

58.5 65.0 44.9 55.4 75.0 82.5 37.2 39.9

Nov 2009

58.6 65.0 44.9 55.6 75.2 82.4 37.2 40.0

Dec 2009

58.3 64.6 44.9 55.3 74.8 82.0 37.0 39.9

Jan 2010

58.5 64.8 44.6 54.9 75.1 82.4 37.2 40.0

Feb 2010

58.5 64.9 44.9 55.2 75.1 82.3 37.2 40.1

Mar 2010

58.5 64.9 44.9 55.3 75.1 82.4 37.4 40.2

Apr 2010

58.7 65.2 45.0 55.9 75.4 82.6 37.5 40.3

May 2010

58.6 64.9 45.4 55.5 75.1 82.3 37.6 40.4

Jun 2010

58.5 64.6 44.7 54.7 75.2 82.2 37.6 40.3

Jul 2010

58.5 64.6 44.9 55.1 75.1 81.9 37.6 40.4

Aug 2010

58.6 64.7 45.7 55.5 75.0 82.0 37.5 40.5

Sep 2010

58.5 64.6 45.0 54.8 75.1 82.0 37.6 40.4

Oct 2010

58.3 64.4 44.9 55.2 75.0 81.8 37.2 40.0

Nov 2010

58.2 64.6 45.1 55.4 74.8 82.0 37.3 40.1

Dec 2010

58.3 64.3 44.9 54.7 75.0 81.9 37.4 40.2

Jan 2011

58.3 64.2 45.3 55.3 75.2 81.7 37.2 39.9

Feb 2011

58.4 64.1 45.2 54.9 75.1 81.6 37.4 40.0

Mar 2011

58.4 64.2 45.4 55.1 75.3 81.7 37.4 40.0

Apr 2011

58.4 64.2 45.2 54.8 75.1 81.7 37.6 40.2

May 2011

58.3 64.1 45.1 54.5 75.2 81.7 37.5 40.2

Jun 2011

58.2 64.0 45.1 54.4 75.0 81.7 37.5 40.2

Jul 2011

58.2 64.0 44.9 54.2 75.0 81.4 37.5 40.2

Aug 2011

58.3 64.1 45.5 55.1 75.1 81.6 37.6 40.3

Sep 2011

58.4 64.2 45.7 55.3 74.9 81.5 37.9 40.6

Oct 2011

58.4 64.1 46.3 55.6 74.9 81.3 37.8 40.6

Nov 2011

58.6 64.1 46.0 55.4 75.3 81.5 37.8 40.4

Dec 2011

58.6 64.0 45.9 55.2 75.4 81.6 37.8 40.3

Jan 2012

58.4 63.7 45.8 54.6 75.5 81.5 37.7 40.1

Feb 2012

58.5 63.8 45.8 54.9 75.5 81.5 38.0 40.4

Mar 2012

58.5 63.8 45.8 54.7 75.7 81.5 37.9 40.4

Apr 2012

58.4 63.7 45.7 54.7 75.7 81.4 37.7 40.3

May 2012

58.5 63.7 46.0 54.8 75.7 81.4 37.9 40.5

Jun 2012

58.6 63.8 46.1 55.0 75.6 81.5 38.1 40.6

Jul 2012

58.5 63.7 46.1 55.1 75.6 81.4 37.7 40.2

Aug 2012

58.4 63.5 45.2 54.3 75.7 81.4 38.1 40.4

Sep 2012

58.7 63.6 46.2 54.7 76.0 81.5 38.1 40.4

Oct 2012

58.8 63.8 46.4 55.2 76.1 81.6 38.3 40.7

Nov 2012

58.7 63.6 46.5 55.3 75.8 81.2 38.3 40.7

Dec 2012

58.7 63.7 46.1 55.2 76.0 81.4 38.3 40.7

Jan 2013

58.6 63.7 46.3 55.6 75.6 81.1 38.3 40.7

Feb 2013

58.6 63.4 46.0 55.0 75.8 81.0 38.2 40.6

Mar 2013

58.5 63.3 45.6 54.3 75.8 81.0 38.2 40.5

Apr 2013

58.6 63.4 46.2 55.2 75.8 81.0 38.2 40.4

May 2013

58.6 63.4 45.9 54.9 76.0 81.2 38.3 40.5

Jun 2013

58.6 63.4 46.5 55.4 75.9 81.2 38.3 40.5

Jul 2013

58.7 63.3 46.7 55.1 76.0 81.2 38.2 40.2

Aug 2013

58.7 63.3 46.3 54.9 76.0 81.0 38.4 40.4

Sep 2013

58.7 63.2 47.2 55.6 76.0 81.0 38.0 40.1

Oct 2013

58.3 62.8 46.7 54.8 75.6 80.6 37.9 40.1

Nov 2013

58.6 63.0 47.1 54.8 76.1 81.0 38.0 39.9

Dec 2013

58.7 62.9 47.4 54.7 76.1 80.8 37.9 39.9

Jan 2014

58.8 62.9 46.8 54.5 76.4 80.9 38.0 39.9

Feb 2014

58.7 62.9 46.3 54.1 76.4 81.1 38.2 40.0

Mar 2014

58.9 63.1 47.4 55.5 76.5 81.1 38.0 39.9

Apr 2014

58.9 62.8 47.4 54.5 76.5 80.8 38.1 39.9

May 2014

58.9 62.9 47.6 54.9 76.4 80.7 38.2 40.1

Jun 2014

59.0 62.8 47.4 54.6 76.9 81.0 38.2 39.9

Jul 2014

59.0 62.9 47.8 55.3 76.7 80.8 38.2 40.0

Aug 2014

59.0 62.9 47.4 54.6 76.9 81.1 38.1 39.9

Sep 2014

59.1 62.8 47.6 55.2 76.8 80.8 38.3 39.9

Oct 2014

59.3 62.9 49.1 56.1 76.9 80.9 38.3 40.0

Nov 2014

59.2 62.9 48.7 55.7 76.9 80.9 38.3 40.1

Dec 2014

59.3 62.8 48.3 55.0 77.1 80.9 38.4 39.9

Jan 2015

59.3 62.9 48.3 55.0 77.1 81.0 38.4 40.1

Feb 2015

59.2 62.7 48.6 55.2 77.2 80.9 38.0 39.7

Mar 2015

59.2 62.6 47.9 54.7 77.1 80.8 38.4 39.9

Apr 2015

59.3 62.7 48.1 54.5 77.2 81.0 38.5 40.1

May 2015

59.4 62.9 48.8 55.6 77.2 81.0 38.5 40.0

Jun 2015

59.3 62.6 48.4 55.0 77.4 80.9 38.4 39.9

Jul 2015

59.3 62.6 48.6 54.9 77.1 80.7 38.5 40.0

Aug 2015

59.4 62.6 49.1 55.2 77.3 80.7 38.3 39.8

Sep 2015

59.2 62.4 48.4 54.5 77.2 80.6 38.2 39.7

Oct 2015

59.3 62.5 49.0 55.0 77.3 80.8 38.5 39.9

Nov 2015

59.4 62.6 48.8 54.9 77.4 80.9 38.5 40.0

Dec 2015

59.6 62.7 49.5 55.6 77.4 81.0 38.6 39.9

Jan 2016

59.7 62.7 49.3 54.8 77.7 81.2 38.6 40.0

Feb 2016

59.8 62.8 49.5 55.3 77.8 81.1 38.6 40.1

Mar 2016

59.8 62.9 49.4 55.3 77.9 81.4 38.6 40.2

Apr 2016

59.7 62.8 49.0 55.1 77.7 81.2 38.6 40.1

May 2016

59.7 62.7 49.4 55.2 77.8 81.1 38.4 39.8

Jun 2016

59.6 62.7 49.0 54.8 77.9 81.3 38.6 40.0

Jul 2016

59.7 62.8 49.0 54.9 77.9 81.2 38.7 40.2

Aug 2016

59.8 62.9 50.0 55.7 77.9 81.3 38.5 39.9

Sep 2016

59.8 62.9 49.5 55.3 78.0 81.5 38.6 40.0

Oct 2016

59.7 62.8 49.3 55.0 78.2 81.6 38.5 40.0

Nov 2016

59.8 62.7 49.8 55.3 78.1 81.4 38.5 39.9

Dec 2016

59.8 62.7 49.9 55.3 78.1 81.4 38.3 39.7

Jan 2017

59.9 62.9 50.0 55.5 78.2 81.5 38.6 40.0

Feb 2017

59.9 62.9 50.2 55.6 78.3 81.6 38.6 40.0

Mar 2017

60.1 62.9 50.6 55.7 78.5 81.6 38.8 40.1

Apr 2017

60.2 62.9 50.5 55.8 78.6 81.7 38.6 39.9

May 2017

60.0 62.8 50.3 55.1 78.4 81.6 38.7 39.9

Jun 2017

60.1 62.8 50.2 55.2 78.6 81.6 38.7 40.0

Jul 2017

60.1 62.9 50.5 55.4 78.6 81.8 38.7 40.0

Aug 2017

60.1 62.9 50.8 55.8 78.5 81.7 38.8 40.1

Sep 2017

60.4 63.1 51.1 56.2 78.9 81.8 38.9 40.1

Oct 2017

60.2 62.7 50.5 55.5 78.9 81.6 38.6 39.9

Nov 2017

60.1 62.8 49.8 55.1 79.0 81.8 38.7 39.9

Dec 2017

60.2 62.7 49.7 54.6 79.1 81.9 38.5 39.8

Jan 2018

60.2 62.7 50.7 55.8 79.0 81.8 38.4 39.6

Feb 2018

60.4 63.0 50.9 55.9 79.3 82.1 38.6 39.9

Mar 2018

60.4 62.9 51.1 55.9 79.2 82.0 38.6 39.8

Apr 2018

60.3 62.8 50.5 55.2 79.2 81.9 38.7 39.9

May 2018

60.4 62.8 50.3 55.1 79.2 81.8 39.0 40.1

Jun 2018

60.4 62.9 50.4 55.3 79.3 82.1 38.8 40.1

Jul 2018

60.5 62.9 50.7 55.4 79.5 82.1 38.9 40.1

Aug 2018

60.3 62.7 49.3 53.8 79.4 82.0 39.0 40.2

Sep 2018

60.4 62.7 50.4 55.0 79.3 81.8 39.0 40.1

Oct 2018

60.6 62.9 50.5 55.0 79.7 82.3 38.9 40.1

Nov 2018

60.6 62.9 50.5 55.0 79.7 82.2 39.0 40.2

Dec 2018

60.6 63.1 50.4 55.2 79.7 82.3 39.2 40.3

Jan 2019

60.7 63.2 50.5 55.5 79.9 82.6 39.1 40.3

Feb 2019

60.7 63.2 50.4 55.3 79.9 82.5 39.3 40.4

Among people age 16 to 24, the employment–population ratio was 50.4 percent in February 2019, and the labor force participation rate was 55.3 percent. For people age 25 to 54, the employment–population ratio was 79.9 percent and the participation rate was 82.5 percent. For those age 55 and over, the employment–population ratio was 39.3 percent and the participation rate was 40.4 percent.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — February 2019.” More charts featuring Current Population Survey data are presented in Charts related to the latest “The Employment Situation” news release. The employment–population ratio is the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population that is employed. The labor force participation rate is the labor force (the sum of the employed and the unemployed) as a percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population.

 

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment–population ratio up over the year; labor force participation rate changed little at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/employment-population-ratio-up-over-the-year-labor-force-participation-rate-changed-little.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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