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.

Key information about United States Employed Persons

• United States Employed Persons was reported at 163,307,000.000 Person in Feb 2025
• It recorded a decrease from the previous number of 163,895,000.000 Person for Jan 2025
• US Employed Persons data is updated monthly, averaging 109,912,500.000 Person from Jan 1948 to Feb 2025, with 926 observations
• The data reached an all-time high of 163,895,000.000 Person in Jan 2025 and a record low of 57,172,000.000 Person in Jun 1949
• US Employed Persons data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Global Economic Monitor – Table: Employed Persons: Monthly: Seasonally Adjusted

In June 2025, about 163.37 million people were employed in the United States. Employed persons consist of: persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week; persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-operated enterprise; and persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs because of illness, vacation, bad weather, industrial dispute, or various personal reasons.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Multiple Jobholders as a Percent of Employed (LNS12026620) from Jan 1994 to Aug 2025 about multiple jobholders, percent, 16 years +, household survey, employment, and USA.

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.

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

Part Time Employment in the United States increased to 29034 Thousand in August from 28437 Thousand in July of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Part Time Employment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Not in Labor Force (LNS15000000) from Jan 1975 to Aug 2025 about labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, and USA.

The construction sector employed over *** million people in the United States in July 2025, which was the highest number since the 21st century. There is a strong correlation between the amount of investment in construction and demand for workers. For example, in the years following the 2008 financial crisis, the value of new construction put in place in the U.S. decreased, which also translated in lower employee numbers in the construction sector. How to improve the job shortage? Many contractors have reported difficulty finding skilled workers recently. However, that has not only been the case in the construction industry, but in many other sectors of the economy too. For example, U.S. restaurants reported shortages in different positions in the past years. Although there are many reasons why workers may quit, in general, an increase in the salaries of construction employees may help in reducing the number of resignations. Worker shortages in Europe The United States is not the only country where companies have been facing these challenges. Thus, the percentage of French infrastructure companies reporting staff shortage peaked in 2019 and 2023. However, there are certain industries that struggle finding new employees more than construction. Social and care work had the highest skilled labor shortages in Germany.

In June 2025, the civilian labor force amounted to 170.38 million people in the United States. The term civilian labor force is used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to describe the subset of Americans who have jobs or are seeking a job, are at least 16 years old, are not serving in the military, and are not institutionalized.

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Labor Force Participation Rate. from United States. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Track economic d…

Graph and download economic data for Employment Level - Nonagriculture, Self-Employed Workers, Unincorporated (LNS12032192) from Jan 1948 to Aug 2025 about unincorporated, self-employed, nonagriculture, workers, 16 years +, household survey, employment, and USA.

Hybrid models of working are on the rise in the United States according to survey data covering worker habits between 2019 and 2024. In the second quarter of 2024, ** percent of U.S. workers reported working in a hybrid manner. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a record number of people working remotely to help curb the spread of the virus. Since then, many workers have found a new shape to their home and working lives, finding that a hybrid model of working is more flexible than always being required to work on-site.

Graph and download economic data for Employed: Percent of hourly paid workers: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over (LEU0203127200A) from 1979 to 2024 about paid, minimum wage, salaries, workers, hours, 16 years +, percent, federal, wages, employment, and USA.

Labor force, total in United States was reported at 174173594 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Labor force, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers (U-4) (U4RATENSA) from Jan 1994 to Aug 2025 about discouraged, labor underutilization, workers, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force Level - Foreign Born (LNU01073395) from Jan 2007 to Aug 2025 about foreign, civilian, labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, and USA.

Unemployment Rate in the United States increased to 4.30 percent in August from 4.20 percent in July of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Full Time Employment in the United States decreased to 134480 Thousand in August from 134837 Thousand in July of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Full Time Employment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.