As of October 2024, there were 133.89 million full-time employees in the United States. This is a slight decrease from the previous month, when there were 134.15 million full-time employees. The impact COVID-19 on employment In December 2019, the COVID-19 virus began its spread across the globe. Since being classified as a pandemic, the virus caused a global health crisis that has taken the lives of millions of people worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic changed many facets of society, most significantly, the economy. In the first years, many businesses across all industries were forced to shut down, with large numbers of employees being laid off. The economy continued its recovery in 2022 with the nationwide unemployment rate returning to a more normal 3.4 percent as of April 2023. Unemployment benefits Because so many people in the United States lost their jobs, record numbers of individuals applied for unemployment insurance for the first time. As an early response to this nation-wide upheaval, the government issued relief checks and extended the benefits paid by unemployment insurance. In May 2020, the amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid rose to 23.73 billion U.S. dollars. As of December 2022, this value had declined to 2.24 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2025, there were estimated to be approximately 3.6 billion people employed worldwide, compared to 2.23 billion people in 1991 - an increase of around 1.4 billion people. There was a noticeable fall in global employment between 2019 and 2020, when the number of employed people fell from due to the sudden economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Formal vs. Informal employment globally Worldwide, there is a large gap between the informally and formally employed. Most informally employed workers reside in the Global South, especially Africa and Southeast Asia. Moreover, men are slightly more likely to be informally employed than women. The majority of informal work, nearly 90 percent, is within the agricultural sector, with domestic work and construction following behind. Women’s employment As the number of employees has risen globally, so has the number of employed women. Overall, care roles such as nursing and midwifery have the highest shares of female employees globally. Moreover, while the gender pay gap has shrunk over time, it still exists. As of 2024, the uncontrolled gender pay gap was 0.83, meaning women made, on average, 83 cents per every dollar earned by men.

In 2023, there were estimated to be approximately 3.5 billion people employed worldwide, compared to 2.23 billion people in 1991 - an increase of over one billion people. Of these employed people in 2023, approximately 2.1 billion were men, and 1.4 billion were female.

Employment Rate in the United States decreased to 59.90 percent in February from 60.10 percent in January of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Global Number of Employees in Employment Services by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Forecast: Number of Employees in Employment Services in the US 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2023, California had the highest number of employed people in the United States, with about 18.4 million. Texas had the second-highest number of employed people in the U.S., at 14.5 million people. The annual employment rate of the United States can be accessed here.

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States Department of Labor and the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Publicly available data files include information on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly wages, by NAICS industry, by county, by ownership sector, for the entire United States. These data are aggregated to annual levels, to higher industry levels (NAICS industry groups, sectors, and supersectors), and to higher geographic levels (national, State, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)). To download and analyze QCEW data, users can begin on the QCEW Databases page. Downloadable data are available in formats such as text and CSV. Data for the QCEW program that are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) are available from 1990 forward, and on a more limited basis from 1975 to 1989. These data provide employment and wage information for arts-related NAICS industries, such as: Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS Code 71) Performing arts and spectator sports Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks Amusements, gambling, and recreation Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS Code 54) Architectural services Graphic design services Photographic services Retail trade (NAICS Code 44-45) Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores Book, periodical, and music stores Art dealers For years 1975-2000, data for the QCEW program provide employment and wage information for arts-related industries are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. These arts-related SIC industries include the following: Book stores (SIC 5942) Commercial photography (SIC Code 7335) Commercial art and graphic design (SIC Code 7336) Museums, Botanical, Zoological Gardens (SIC Code 84) Dance studios, schools, and halls (SIC Code 7911) Theatrical producers and services (SIC Code 7922) Sports clubs, managers, & promoters (SIC Code 7941) Motion Picture Services (SIC Code 78) The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by 6-digit NAICS industry at the national, state, and county levels. At the national level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data for almost every NAICS industry. At the State and area level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data down to the 6-digit NAICS industry level, if disclosure restrictions are met. Employment data under the QCEW program represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period including the 12th of the month. Excluded are members of the armed forces, the self-employed, proprietors, domestic workers, unpaid family workers, and railroad workers covered by the railroad unemployment insurance system. Wages represent total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when services were performed. Included in wages are pay for vacation and other paid leave, bonuses, stock options, tips, the cash value of meals and lodging, and in some States, contributions to deferred compensation plans (such as 401(k) plans). The QCEW program does provide partial information on agricultural industries and employees in private households. Data from the QCEW program serve as an important source for many BLS programs. The QCEW data are used as the benchmark source for employment by the Current Employment Statistics program and the Occupational Employment Statistics program. The UI administrative records collected under the QCEW program serve as a sampling frame for BLS establishment surveys. In addition, data from the QCEW program serve as a source to other Federal and State programs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce uses QCEW data as the base for developing the wage and salary component of personal income. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor and the SESAs use QCEW data to administer the employment security program. The QCEW data accurately reflect the ex

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Federal (CES9091000001) from Jan 1939 to Feb 2025 about establishment survey, federal, government, employment, and USA.

Slovakia Employment: Number of Employees: Part Time data was reported at 129.100 Person th in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 138.300 Person th for Mar 2018. Slovakia Employment: Number of Employees: Part Time data is updated quarterly, averaging 56.800 Person th from Mar 1994 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 98 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 150.100 Person th in Sep 2017 and a record low of 35.900 Person th in Sep 2002. Slovakia Employment: Number of Employees: Part Time data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Slovakia – Table SK.G006: Labour Force Survey: Employment.

Slovakia Employment: Number of Employees: PR: Private Enterprise data was reported at 1,456.100 Person th in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,437.000 Person th for Dec 2017. Slovakia Employment: Number of Employees: PR: Private Enterprise data is updated quarterly, averaging 1,182.800 Person th from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 97 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,456.100 Person th in Mar 2018 and a record low of 375.300 Person th in Mar 1994. Slovakia Employment: Number of Employees: PR: Private Enterprise data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Slovakia – Table SK.G006: Labour Force Survey: Employment.

Number of employees by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and type of employee, last 5 years.

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Government (USGOVT) from Jan 1939 to Feb 2025 about establishment survey, government, employment, and USA.

Forecast: Number of Employees in Employment Services in Sweden 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Number of employees by National Occupational Classification (NOC), last 5 months. Data are also available for the standard error of the estimate, the standard error of the month-to-month change and the standard error of the year-over-year change.

Forecast: Number of Employees in Employment Services in Germany 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Forecast: Number of Employees in Employment Services in South Korea 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Netherlands Number of Jobs: Employee: GC: Public Administration and Services data was reported at 509.000 Person th in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 506.000 Person th for Mar 2018. Netherlands Number of Jobs: Employee: GC: Public Administration and Services data is updated quarterly, averaging 505.500 Person th from Mar 1995 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 94 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 538.000 Person th in Jun 2003 and a record low of 469.000 Person th in Dec 1997. Netherlands Number of Jobs: Employee: GC: Public Administration and Services data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Netherlands. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.G020: Number of Jobs: by Employment and Economic Activity: ESA 2010.

China Number of Employee: Coal Mining & Dressing data was reported at 2,568.000 Person th in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,567.000 Person th for Nov 2024. China Number of Employee: Coal Mining & Dressing data is updated monthly, averaging 3,828.200 Person th from Dec 1998 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 243 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,296.816 Person th in Dec 2013 and a record low of 2,528.000 Person th in Feb 2024. China Number of Employee: Coal Mining & Dressing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GB: No of Employee: by Industry: Monthly.

In 2023, it was estimated that over 161 million Americans were in some form of employment, while 3.64 percent of the total workforce was unemployed. This was the lowest unemployment rate since the 1950s, although these figures are expected to rise in 2023 and beyond. 1980s-2010s Since the 1980s, the total United States labor force has generally risen as the population has grown, however, the annual average unemployment rate has fluctuated significantly, usually increasing in times of crisis, before falling more slowly during periods of recovery and economic stability. For example, unemployment peaked at 9.7 percent during the early 1980s recession, which was largely caused by the ripple effects of the Iranian Revolution on global oil prices and inflation. Other notable spikes came during the early 1990s; again, largely due to inflation caused by another oil shock, and during the early 2000s recession. The Great Recession then saw the U.S. unemployment rate soar to 9.6 percent, following the collapse of the U.S. housing market and its impact on the banking sector, and it was not until 2016 that unemployment returned to pre-recession levels. 2020s 2019 had marked a decade-long low in unemployment, before the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic saw the sharpest year-on-year increase in unemployment since the Great Depression, and the total number of workers fell by almost 10 million people. Despite the continuation of the pandemic in the years that followed, alongside the associated supply-chain issues and onset of the inflation crisis, unemployment reached just 3.67 percent in 2022 - current projections are for this figure to rise in 2023 and the years that follow, although these forecasts are subject to change if recent years are anything to go by.