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.

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.

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 Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Employment Rate Total: From 25 to 54 Years for United States (LREM25TTUSM156N) from Jan 1955 to Feb 2025 about 25 to 54 years, employment-population ratio, employment, population, rate, and USA.

In 2023, the U.S. employment rate stood at 60.3 percent. 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. The employment-population ratio represents the proportion of the civilian non-institutional population that is employed. The monthly unemployment rate for the United States can be found here.

United States US: Employment Rate: Age 15-74 data was reported at 67.118 % in 2026. This records an increase from the previous number of 66.828 % for 2025. United States US: Employment Rate: Age 15-74 data is updated yearly, averaging 65.646 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2026, with 42 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 69.750 % in 2000 and a record low of 61.414 % in 2010. United States US: Employment Rate: Age 15-74 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.OECD.EO: Employment and Unemployment: Forecast: OECD Member: Annual.

United States Employment data was reported at 162,544.000 Person th in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 162,347.000 Person th for Jan 2025. United States Employment data is updated monthly, averaging 109,846.500 Person th from Jan 1948 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 926 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 162,544.000 Person th in Feb 2025 and a record low of 56,189.000 Person th in Jan 1950. United States Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G030: Current Population Survey: Employment.

United States US: Unemployment Rate: % Change over Previous Period data was reported at -10.616 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of -8.031 % for 2016. United States US: Unemployment Rate: % Change over Previous Period data is updated yearly, averaging -5.513 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2017, with 69 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.744 % in 1954 and a record low of -37.402 % in 1951. United States US: Unemployment Rate: % Change over Previous Period data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Annual.

In 2023, the District of Columbia was the U.S. state with the highest employment to population ratio with approximately 68.2 percent. Mississippi had the lowest employment to population ratio that year, at around 52.3 percent.

United States Employment: Foreign Born data was reported at 31,687.000 Person th in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 31,774.000 Person th for Jan 2025. United States Employment: Foreign Born data is updated monthly, averaging 25,001.500 Person th from Jan 2007 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 218 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31,774.000 Person th in Jan 2025 and a record low of 20,976.000 Person th in Feb 2009. United States Employment: Foreign Born data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G030: Current Population Survey: Employment.

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Program is a Federal-State cooperative program between the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the California EDD’s Labor Market Information Division (LMID). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by California Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by 6-digit industry codes from the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) at the national, state, and county levels. At the national level, the QCEW program publishes employment and wage data for nearly every NAICS industry. At the state and local area level, the QCEW program publishes employment and wage data down to the 6-digit NAICS industry level, if disclosure restrictions are met. In accordance with the BLS policy, data provided to the Bureau in confidence are used only for specified statistical purposes and are not published. The BLS withholds publication of Unemployment Insurance law-covered employment and wage data for any industry level when necessary to protect the identity of cooperating employers. Data from the QCEW program serve as an important input to many BLS programs. The Current Employment Statistics and the Occupational Employment Statistics programs use the QCEW data as the benchmark source for employment. The UI administrative records collected under the QCEW program serve as a sampling frame for the BLS establishment surveys. In addition, the data serve as an input to other federal and state programs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce uses the QCEW data as the base for developing the wage and salary component of personal income. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and California's EDD use the QCEW data to administer the Unemployment Insurance program. The QCEW data accurately reflect the extent of coverage of California’s UI laws and are used to measure UI revenues; national, state and local area employment; and total and UI taxable wage trends. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes new QCEW data in its County Employment and Wages news release on a quarterly basis. The BLS also publishes a subset of its quarterly data through the Create Customized Tables system, and full quarterly industry detail data at all geographic levels.

Employment Rate: Aged 15-64: All Persons for the United States was 71.23% in March of 2022, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Employment Rate: Aged 15-64: All Persons for the United States reached a record high of 74.78 in June of 2000 and a record low of 59.17 in January of 1961. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Employment Rate: Aged 15-64: All Persons for the United States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Historical Employment Statistics 1990 - current. The Current Employment Statistics (CES) more information program provides the most current estimates of nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings data by industry (place of work) for the nation as a whole, all states, and most major metropolitan areas. The CES survey is a federal-state cooperative endeavor in which states develop state and sub-state data using concepts, definitions, and technical procedures prescribed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Estimates produced by the CES program include both full- and part-time jobs. Excluded are self-employment, as well as agricultural and domestic positions. In Connecticut, more than 4,000 employers are surveyed each month to determine the number of the jobs in the State. For more information please visit us at http://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/ces/default.asp.

United States Employment: NF: WW: Govt: Federal data was reported at 1,247.000 Person th in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,248.000 Person th for Aug 2018. United States Employment: NF: WW: Govt: Federal data is updated monthly, averaging 1,191.000 Person th from Jan 1964 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 657 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,535.000 Person th in May 2010 and a record low of 537.000 Person th in Jan 1964. United States Employment: NF: WW: Govt: Federal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G028: Current Employment Statistics Survey: Employment: Women Worker: Non Farm.

In 2022, the employment rate of the workforce of 55 years and older increased to 41.1 percent. Employment rate among young adults (age 16-24) was at 41.5 percent in 2022. For monthly updates on employment in the United States visit the annual national employment rate here.

This dataset contains the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), annual averages from 1990 to 2023.

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program is a Federal-State cooperative effort in which monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment are prepared for approximately 7,600 areas, including counties, cities and metropolitan statistical areas. These estimates are key indicators of local economic conditions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for the concepts, definitions, technical procedures, validation, and publication of the estimates that State workforce agencies prepare under agreement with BLS.

Estimates for counties are produced through a building-block approach known as the "Handbook method." This procedure also uses data from several sources, including the CPS, the CES program, state UI systems, and the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), to create estimates that are adjusted to the statewide measures of employment and unemployment. Estimates for cities are prepared using disaggregation techniques based on inputs from the ACS, annual population estimates, and current UI data.

In September 2024, the District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate in the United States, with an unemployment rate of 5.7. The unemployment rate was also high in Nevada, with an unemployment rate of 5.6 percent in February. Unemployment in the U.S. A person is considered unemployed if they have no job and are currently looking for a job and available to work. The unemployment rate in the United States varies across states. Nation-wide unemployment was 3.4 percent as of April 2023. Unemployment can be affected by various factors including economic conditions and global competition. During economic prosperity, unemployment rates generally decrease and during times of recession, rates increase. The seasons can also have an impact on the unemployment rate, especially during winter, when there is lower demand for construction workers or other professionals who typically work outdoors. The retail sector also experiences fluctuating demand for workers, particularly during the holiday-shopping season, when demand for workers increases. For this reason, labor statistics are usually presented as being either seasonally adjusted or unadjusted. The data presented in this statistic have been seasonally adjusted, but the monthly unadjusted unemployment rate can be accessed here.

Statewide VA data on the demographic and economic characteristics of the labor force are published on an annual-average basis from the Current Population Survey (CPS), the sample survey of households used to calculate the U.S. unemployment rate. For VA state ,employment status data are tabulated for 67 sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, marital status, and detailed age categories and evaluated against a minimum base, calculated to reflect an expected maximum coefficient of variation (CV) of 50 percent, to determine reliability for publication

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Employment Rate Female: From 15 to 64 Years for United States (LREM64FEUSM156N) from Jan 1955 to Feb 2025 about employment-population ratio, 15 to 64 years, females, employment, population, rate, and USA.

United States Employment: NF: sa: PW: Mfg: Food data was reported at 1,290.400 Person th in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,286.800 Person th for May 2018. United States Employment: NF: sa: PW: Mfg: Food data is updated monthly, averaging 1,188.850 Person th from Jan 1990 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 342 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,290.400 Person th in Jun 2018 and a record low of 1,145.400 Person th in Oct 2010. United States Employment: NF: sa: PW: Mfg: Food data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G031: Current Employment Statistics Survey: Employment: Production Worker: Non FarmSeasonally Adjusted.