Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force Level (CLF16OV) from Jan 1948 to Feb 2026 about civilian, 16 years +, labor force, household survey, labor, and USA.

This graph shows the civilian labor force in the United States from 1990 to 2024. In 2024, the number of people who had jobs or were seeking employment amounted to about 168.11 million.

Labor Force Participation Rate in the United States decreased to 62 percent in February from 62.10 percent in January of 2026. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Labor Force Participation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In August 2025, the civilian labor force amounted to 170.78 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.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate - 25-54 Yrs. (LNU01300060) from Jan 1948 to Feb 2026 about 25 to 54 years, participation, civilian, labor force, household survey, labor, rate, and USA.

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

In August 2025, the number of people in the civilian labor force in the United States amounted to 171.04 million. 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. In other words, all Americans who are eligible to work in the everyday U.S. economy.

Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force Level (LNU01000000) from Jan 1948 to Jan 2026 about civilian, 16 years +, labor force, household survey, labor, 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 February of 2026.

Key information about United States Labour Force Participation Rate

• United States Labour Force Participation Rate increased to 61.9 % in Feb 2026, compared with 61.7 % in the previous month.
• US Labour Force Participation Rate is updated monthly, available from Jan 1948 to Feb 2026, with an average rate of 64.7 % .
• The data reached the an all-time high of 68.1 % in Jul 1997 and a record low of 57.2 % in Jan 1948.
• US Labour Force Participation Rate is reported by reported by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• In the latest reports, US Population reached 342.4 million people in Dec 2025.
• Unemployment Rate of US increased to 4.4 % in Feb 2026.
• The country's Monthly Earnings stood at 5,120.3 USD in Feb 2026.

In 2024, California had the largest civilian labor force in the United States with about 19.6 million people. Wyoming had the smallest labor force with around 295,000 workers.

Total civilian labor force level including employed and unemployed persons.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate - 25-54 Yrs. (LNS11300060) from Jan 1948 to Feb 2026 about 25 to 54 years, participation, civilian, labor force, household survey, labor, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Not in Labor Force (LNS15000000) from Jan 1975 to Feb 2026 about 16 years +, labor force, household survey, labor, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate - Women (LNS11300002) from Jan 1948 to Feb 2026 about participation, females, 16 years +, labor force, household survey, labor, rate, and USA.

In 2025, it was estimated that over 163 million Americans were in some form of employment, while 4.16 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.

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in the United States from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, 1.57 percent of the workforce in the US was employed in agriculture, 19.34 percent in industry and 79.09 percent in services. See U.S. GDP per capita for more information. American workforce A significant majority of the American labor force is employed in the services sector, while the other sectors, industry and agriculture, account for less than 20 percent of the US economy. However, the United States is among the top exporters of agricultural goods – the total value of US agricultural exports has more than doubled since 2000. A severe plunge in the employment rate in the US since 1990 shows that the American economy is still in turmoil after the economic crisis of 2008. Unemployment is still significantly higher than it was before the crisis, and most of those unemployed and looking for a job are younger than 25; youth unemployment is a severe problem for the United States, many college or university graduates struggle to find a job right away. Still, the number of employees in the US since 1990 has been increasing slowly, with a slight setback during and after the recession. Both the number of full-time and of part-time workers have increased during the same period. When looking at the distribution of jobs among men and women, both project the general downward trend. A comparison of the employment rate of men in the US since 1990 and the employment rate of women since 1990 shows that more men tend to be employed than women.

Graph and download economic data for Civilian Labor Force Level - 25-54 Yrs. (LNU01000060) from Jan 1948 to Feb 2026 about 25 to 54 years, civilian, labor force, household survey, labor, and USA.

In August 2025, the inactive labor force amounted to about 102.97 million people in the United States. Labor force measures are based on the civilian non-institutional population 16 years old and over. Excluded are persons under 16 years of age, all persons confined to institutions such as nursing homes and prisons, and persons on active duty in the Armed Forces. The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed. The remainder — those who have no job and are not looking for one — are counted as "not in the labor force." Many who are not in the labor force are going to school or are retired. Family responsibilities keep others out of the labor force.

2020 data excluded because the U.S. Census Bureau did not release 2020 ACS 1-year estimates due to COVID-19. Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30%.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates

Why This Matters

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the labor force participation rate is an important measure of the health of the labor market, which represents the relative amount of labor resources available for the production of goods and services.

Changes in overall labor force participation reflect demographic, policy, and employer changes, whereas gaps in labor force participation between different segments of the working-age population reveal barriers to participation.

Black, Indigenous, and people of color participate in the labor market at lower rates than white people. These inequities reflect policies and practices, such as employment discrimination, racial segregation, and mass incarceration, among other factors.

The District's Response

Investing in targeted programs that provide pathways to higher wages and jobs, such as the Advanced Technical Centers (ATC), the DC Infrastructure Academy, and Career MAP, which aim to tackle the systemic barriers that keep people out of the labor force.

Administering federal and local safety net programs such as TANF For District Families, SNAP, unemployment insurance, and Medicaid that provide temporary cash and health benefits to address economic hardship.

Partners with the Department of Employment Services in building youth from the ground up through its various programs and services, including mentorship, counseling justice system services, job training development, and employment.