February 7, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Labor force and employment rates at highs

The number of persons in the civilian labor force grew by 925,000 to 140.9 million (seasonally adjusted) in January. Total employment rose by roughly the same amount to135.2 million.

[Chart data—TXT]

The labor force participation rate increased 0.4 percentage point to 67.5 percent in January—a record high. The employment-population ratio—the proportion of the population age16 and older with jobs—rose from 64.4 percent in December to 64.8 percent in January, also a record.

These data are a product of the Current Population Survey. Effective with the release of data for January 2000, revised population controls, primarily reflecting updated information on immigration, have been introduced into the survey. The revised controls resulted in decreases in the estimated size of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over, the civilian labor force, and employment. The changes discussed in this report reflect adjustments for these effects. Find out more in "The Employment Situation: January 2000," news release USDL 00-34.