Demographics

This page contains information about national labor force statistics with demographic characteristics available from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Data on the labor force characteristics of employed and unemployed persons, plus hours of work and earnings, also are available.

Demographic labor force information for States, counties, and cities are available separately from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. Contact LAUS staff for state or city data.

On This Page

 

Age

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics by age group. See also Older workers and Youth.

  • Database: Retrieve historical data series


  • Annual table: Employment status by detailed age group, sex, and race (HTML) (PDF)
  • Monthly table: Employment status by detailed age group, sex, and race (HTML) (PDF)


    • Median age of workers by occupation and industry

    NOTICE Limited historical data are available for these tables due to changes in the occupational and industry classification systems that affect comparability over time.

  • Articles:
    • The early 2000s: a period of declining teen summer employment rates (May 2010) (PDF)
    • Record unemployment among older workers does not keep them out of the job market (March 2010)
      (HTML) (PDF)
    • Trends in labor force participation in the United States (October 2006) (PDF)

Certifications and licenses

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for persons with or without certifications and licenses—credentials that demonstrate a level of skill or knowledge needed to perform a specific type of job. These non-degree credentials are distinct from Educational attainment.

  • Frequently asked questions about data on certifications and licenses


  • NEW Highlights of the 2015 data


  • Annual tables: NEW for 2015
    • 1. Certification and licensing status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by employment status (HTML) (XLSX)
    • 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by certification and licensing status and selected characteristics (HTML) (XLSX)
    • 3. Certification and licensing status of employed persons 16 years and over by selected characteristics (HTML) (XLSX)
    • 4. Certification and licensing status of the employed by industry and class of worker (HTML) (XLSX)
    • 5. Certification and licensing status of the employed by occupation (HTML) (XLSX)
    • 6. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by certification and licensing status and selected characteristics (HTML) (XLSX)
    • 7. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by certification and licensing status and occupation (HTML) (XLSX)
    • All seven tables in a single file (XLSX)
  • Chart: Workers in healthcare occupations most likely to have certifications or licenses in 2015 (April 2015)


  • Article: Adding Questions on Certifications and Licenses to the Current Population Survey (March 2016) (HTML) (PDF)


  • Looking for Foreign Labor Certification (hiring foreign workers for employment in the U.S.)? See the U.S. Department of Labor.

Disability

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for persons with or without a disability. These are estimates for the nation as a whole; data are not available by state.


Educational attainment

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics by educational attainment for persons age 25 and older. See also Earnings by education, School enrollment and Certifications and licenses.


Families and marital status

See also Women, including additional tables on parents, families, and marital status in the annual report on Women in the Labor Force: A Databook.

Employment, unemployment, and labor force participation in families

Employment and unemployment statistics for married men and women
  • Monthly tables:
    • Employment levels (HTML) (PDF)
    • Unemployment levels and rates (HTML) (PDF)

Unemployment statistics by marital status
  • Monthly table: Unemployment levels and rates by marital status, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity (HTML) (PDF)
  • Annual table: Unemployment levels and rates by marital status, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity (HTML) (PDF)

Foreign-born workers

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics by foreign- and native-born status (nativity).


Older workers

See also Age.
Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics by single year of age for persons age 55 and older are available on request. Contact the Current Population Survey staff to obtain these data.


Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for whites, blacks or African Americans, Asians, and persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. See also Earnings by Demographics.


School enrollment

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for youth ages 16 to 24 by school enrollment status. See also Youth and Educational attainment.


Veterans

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces by period of service and service-connected disability.


Volunteering

Statistics on persons who volunteer through or for an organization.

NOTICE  The volunteer supplement was not conducted in 2016 and is not scheduled for 2017.
The latest data available are for September 2015.



Women

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for women. See also Families and marital status and Earnings by demographics.


Youth

Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for youth ages 16 to 24. See also Age and School Enrollment.

 

Last Modified Date: January 17, 2017