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4.9 percent of the civilian labor force were veterans in 2025

April 10, 2026

In 2025, there were 168.5 million people age 18 and over in the civilian labor force. Of those, 4.9 percent (8.3 million) were military veterans.

Chart Image
Chart Data

Percent of the civilian labor force 18 years and over who were veterans 2000– 2025, annual averages
Year	Percent
2000	10.5
2001	10.2
2002	9.9
2003	9.4
2004	9.3
2005	9.0
2006	8.6
2007	8.3
2008	8.2
2009	8.0
2010	7.7
2011	7.5
2012	7.2
2013	7.2
2014	7.0
2015	6.9
2016	6.7
2017	6.4
2018	5.9
2019	5.7
2020	5.6
2021	5.5
2022	5.4
2023	5.2
2024	5.1
2025	4.9
Note: Annual estimates for 2025 are 11-month averages that exclude October. Data for October 2025 were not collected due to the federal government shutdown.

Veterans averaged 5.1 percent of the labor force in 2024 and 5.2 percent in 2023. In 2000, veterans made up a much larger proportion of the civilian labor force at 10.5 percent. This number has steadily declined since that time, reflecting the large proportion of veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. These veterans are now over age 65 and most have left the labor force.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see the Veterans Demographics page.

Veterans are men and women 18 years and older who previously served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were civilians when they were surveyed. People on active duty are not included in the survey. Members of the Reserve and National Guard are counted as veterans if they had ever been called to active duty. The civilian labor force is defined here as those 18 years or older who are not confined to an institution, and are classified as either employed or unemployed.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 4.9 percent of the civilian labor force were veterans in 2025 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/4-9-percent-of-the-civilian-labor-force-were-veterans-in-2025.htm (visited April 11, 2026).

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