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.

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, 53 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 +, federal, wages, percent, employment, and USA.

In 2023, 1.1 percent of workers in the United States were paid hourly rates at or below the official minimum wage. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 1.3 percent of workers were paid at or below the official minimum wage.

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

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

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Percent of hourly paid workers: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Women (LEU0253130200A) from 2000 to 2024 about paid, minimum wage, females, full-time, salaries, workers, hours, 16 years +, federal, wages, percent, employment, and USA.

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

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers: Personal Care Services in U.S. City Average (CWUR0000SEGC) from Dec 1952 to Feb 2025 about clerical workers, urban, wages, personal, services, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

United States US: Wage And Salaried Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data was reported at 90.039 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 90.150 % for 2016. United States US: Wage And Salaried Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 88.930 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 90.150 % in 2016 and a record low of 86.866 % in 1991. United States US: Wage And Salaried Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Wage and salaried workers (employees) are those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as 'paid employment jobs,' where the incumbents hold explicit (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

Graph and download economic data for Average Hours of Work Per Week, Production Workers, Manufacturing, Nondurable Goods for United States (M08264USM065NNBR) from Jan 1932 to Feb 1962 about nondurable goods, workers, hours, production, goods, manufacturing, and USA.

In 2020, about 135.57 million workers were covered by worker's compensation in the United States. This figure had been consistently increasing since 1996, when about 114.77 million workers were covered by worker's compensation, and reaching a peak in 2019. The drop in 2020 could be explained by the COVID-19 pandemic in which millions of people suddenly could not work.

United States Private Employee: LIB: Establishments: => 100 Workers data was reported at 72.000 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 72.000 % for 2016. United States Private Employee: LIB: Establishments: => 100 Workers data is updated yearly, averaging 74.000 % from Mar 1999 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 76.000 % in 2013 and a record low of 64.000 % in 2003. United States Private Employee: LIB: Establishments: => 100 Workers 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.G076: Employee Benefits Survey: Private Industry.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate Full-Time Workers (LNS14100000) from Jan 1968 to Feb 2025 about full-time, workers, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

United States Agg Weekly Payrolls Index: sa: Production Workers (PW): Private data was reported at 180.200 2002=100 in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 179.300 2002=100 for Sep 2018. United States Agg Weekly Payrolls Index: sa: Production Workers (PW): Private data is updated monthly, averaging 57.750 2002=100 from Jan 1964 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 658 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 180.200 2002=100 in Oct 2018 and a record low of 8.500 2002=100 in Jan 1964. United States Agg Weekly Payrolls Index: sa: Production Workers (PW): Private 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.G036: Current Employment Statistics Survey: Aggregate Weekly Payroll and Hours Index: Production Workers.

United States Private Employee: DCB: Full-Time Workers data was reported at 41.000 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 42.000 % for 2016. United States Private Employee: DCB: Full-Time Workers data is updated yearly, averaging 44.000 % from Mar 1999 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 61.000 % in 2014 and a record low of 35.000 % in 2000. United States Private Employee: DCB: Full-Time Workers 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.G076: Employee Benefits Survey: Private Industry.

In October 2024, the civilian labor force amounted to 168.48 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.

AHE: sa: PW: EH: Child & Youth Services data was reported at 24.760 USD in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 24.700 USD for Dec 2024. AHE: sa: PW: EH: Child & Youth Services data is updated monthly, averaging 15.010 USD from Jan 1990 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 421 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.760 USD in Jan 2025 and a record low of 8.520 USD in Jan 1990. AHE: sa: PW: EH: Child & Youth Services 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.G071: Current Employment Statistics Survey: Average Hourly Earnings: Production Workers: Seasonally Adjusted.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly real earnings: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: White: Men (LEU0252884000A) from 2000 to 2024 about full-time, males, salaries, workers, earnings, white, 16 years +, wages, median, real, employment, and USA.