Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex,
1970–2010 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
Civilian labor force
Year
Civilian
noninstitutional
population
Employed
Total
Percent of
population
Total
Unemployed
Percent of
population
Total
Percent of
labor force
Not in labor
force
Total, both sexes
1970…….……………..
137,085
1971…….………………….
140,216
1972 1………………..
144,126
1973 1…………………..
147,096
1974…….…………..
150,120
1975…….………………
153,153
1976…….…………..
156,150
1977…….…………..
159,033
1978 1…..................
161,910
1979…………………..
164,863
82,771
84,382
87,034
89,429
91,949
93,775
96,158
99,009
102,251
104,962
60.4
60.2
60.4
60.8
61.3
61.2
61.6
62.3
63.2
63.7
78,678
79,367
82,153
85,064
86,794
85,846
88,752
92,017
96,048
98,824
57.5
56.6
57.0
57.8
57.8
56.1
56.8
57.9
59.3
59.9
4,093
5,016
4,882
4,365
5,156
7,929
7,406
6,991
6,202
6,137
4.9
5.9
5.6
4.9
5.6
8.5
7.7
7.1
6.1
5.8
54,315
55,834
57,091
57,667
58,171
59,377
59,991
60,025
59,659
59,900
1980………………….
167,745
1981…...……………..
170,130
1982…...………………
172,271
1983…...…………….
174,215
1984…...……………
176,383
1985…...…………………
178,206
1986 1…...................
180,587
1987…………………….
182,753
1988…...………………
184,613
1989……………………
186,393
106,940
108,670
110,204
111,550
113,544
115,461
117,834
119,865
121,669
123,869
63.8
63.9
64.0
64.0
64.4
64.8
65.3
65.6
65.9
66.5
99,303
100,397
99,526
100,834
105,005
107,150
109,597
112,440
114,968
117,342
59.2
59.0
57.8
57.9
59.5
60.1
60.7
61.5
62.3
63.0
7,637
8,273
10,678
10,717
8,539
8,312
8,237
7,425
6,701
6,528
7.1
7.6
9.7
9.6
7.5
7.2
7.0
6.2
5.5
5.3
60,806
61,460
62,067
62,665
62,839
62,744
62,752
62,888
62,944
62,523
1990 1….......................
189,164
1991…...……………
190,925
1992…...……………….
192,805
1993…...……………..
194,838
1994 1…..................
196,814
1995…...……………
198,584
1996…...………………
200,591
1997 1…....................
203,133
1998 1….......................
205,220
1999 1….........................
207,753
125,840
126,346
128,105
129,200
131,056
132,304
133,943
136,297
137,673
139,368
66.5
66.2
66.4
66.3
66.6
66.6
66.8
67.1
67.1
67.1
118,793
117,718
118,492
120,259
123,060
124,900
126,708
129,558
131,463
133,488
62.8
61.7
61.5
61.7
62.5
62.9
63.2
63.8
64.1
64.3
7,047
8,628
9,613
8,940
7,996
7,404
7,236
6,739
6,210
5,880
5.6
6.8
7.5
6.9
6.1
5.6
5.4
4.9
4.5
4.2
63,324
64,578
64,700
65,638
65,758
66,280
66,647
66,837
67,547
68,385
2000 1….....................
212,577
2001 …………………
215,092
2002 …………………..
217,570
2003 1…...................
221,168
2004 …................
223,357
2005……………………..
226,082
2006………………….
228,815
2007………………….
231,867
2008 1…................
233,788
2009………………….
235,801
142,583
143,734
144,863
146,510
147,401
149,320
151,428
153,124
154,287
154,142
67.1
66.8
66.6
66.2
66.0
66.0
66.2
66.0
66.0
65.4
136,891
136,933
136,485
137,736
139,252
141,730
144,427
146,047
145,362
139,877
64.4
63.7
62.7
62.3
62.3
62.7
63.1
63.0
62.2
59.3
5,692
6,801
8,378
8,774
8,149
7,591
7,001
7,078
8,924
14,265
4.0
4.7
5.8
6.0
5.5
5.1
4.6
4.6
5.8
9.3
69,994
71,359
72,707
74,658
75,956
76,762
77,387
78,743
79,501
81,659
2010………………….
237,830
153,889
64.7
139,064
58.5
14,825
9.6
83,941
See footnote at end of table.
7
7
Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex,
1970–2010 annual averages—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Civilian labor force
Year
Civilian
noninstitutional
population
Employed
Total
Percent of
population
Total
Unemployed
Percent of
population
Total
Percent of
labor force
Not in labor
force
Women
1970…….……………..
72,782
1971…….………………….
74,274
1972 1………………..
76,290
1973 1…………………..
77,804
1974…….…………..
79,312
1975…….………………
80,860
1976…….…………..
82,390
1977…….…………..
83,840
1978 1…..................
85,334
1979…………………..
86,843
31,543
32,202
33,479
34,804
36,211
37,475
38,983
40,613
42,631
44,235
43.3
43.4
43.9
44.7
45.7
46.3
47.3
48.4
50.0
50.9
29,688
29,976
31,257
32,715
33,769
33,989
35,615
37,289
39,569
41,217
40.8
40.4
41.0
42.0
42.6
42.0
43.2
44.5
46.4
47.5
1,855
2,227
2,222
2,089
2,441
3,486
3,369
3,324
3,061
3,018
5.9
6.9
6.6
6.0
6.7
9.3
8.6
8.2
7.2
6.8
41,239
42,072
42,811
43,000
43,101
43,386
43,406
43,227
42,703
42,608
1980………………….
88,348
1981…...……………..
89,618
1982…...………………
90,748
1983…...…………….
91,684
1984…...……………
92,778
1985…...…………………
93,736
1986 1…...................
94,789
1987…………………….
95,853
1988…...………………
96,756
1989……………………
97,630
45,487
46,696
47,755
48,503
49,709
51,050
52,413
53,658
54,742
56,030
51.5
52.1
52.6
52.9
53.6
54.5
55.3
56.0
56.6
57.4
42,117
43,000
43,256
44,047
45,915
47,259
48,706
50,334
51,696
53,027
47.7
48.0
47.7
48.0
49.5
50.4
51.4
52.5
53.4
54.3
3,370
3,696
4,499
4,457
3,794
3,791
3,707
3,324
3,046
3,003
7.4
7.9
9.4
9.2
7.6
7.4
7.1
6.2
5.6
5.4
42,861
42,922
42,993
43,181
43,068
42,686
42,376
42,195
42,014
41,601
1990 1….......................
98,787
1991…...……………
99,646
1992…...……………….
100,535
1993…...……………..
101,506
1994 1…..................
102,460
1995…...……………
103,406
1996…...………………
104,385
1997 1…....................
105,418
1998 1….......................
106,462
1999 1….........................
108,031
56,829
57,178
58,141
58,795
60,239
60,944
61,857
63,036
63,714
64,855
57.5
57.4
57.8
57.9
58.8
58.9
59.3
59.8
59.8
60.0
53,689
53,496
54,052
54,910
56,610
57,523
58,501
59,873
60,771
62,042
54.3
53.7
53.8
54.1
55.3
55.6
56.0
56.8
57.1
57.4
3,140
3,683
4,090
3,885
3,629
3,421
3,356
3,162
2,944
2,814
5.5
6.4
7.0
6.6
6.0
5.6
5.4
5.0
4.6
4.3
41,957
42,468
42,394
42,711
42,221
42,462
42,528
42,382
42,748
43,175
2000 1….....................
110,613
2001 …………………
111,811
2002 …………………..
112,985
2003 1…...................
114,733
2004 …................
115,647
2005……………………..
116,931
2006………………….
118,210
2007………………….
119,694
2008 1…................
120,675
2009………………….
121,665
66,303
66,848
67,363
68,272
68,421
69,288
70,173
70,988
71,767
72,019
59.9
59.8
59.6
59.5
59.2
59.3
59.4
59.3
59.5
59.2
63,586
63,737
63,582
64,404
64,728
65,757
66,925
67,792
67,876
66,208
57.5
57.0
56.3
56.1
56.0
56.2
56.6
56.6
56.2
54.4
2,717
3,111
3,781
3,868
3,694
3,531
3,247
3,196
3,891
5,811
4.1
4.7
5.6
5.7
5.4
5.1
4.6
4.5
5.4
8.1
44,310
44,962
45,621
46,461
47,225
47,643
48,037
48,707
48,908
49,646
2010………………….
122,656
71,904
58.6
65,705
53.6
6,199
8.6
50,752
See footnote at end of table.
8
8
Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex,
1970–2010 annual averages—Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
Civilian labor force
Year
Civilian
noninstitutional
population
Employed
Total
Percent of
population
Total
Unemployed
Percent of
population
Total
Percent of
labor force
Not in labor
force
Men
1970…….……………..
64,304
1971…….………………….
65,942
1972 1………………..
67,835
1973 1…………………..
69,292
1974…….…………..
70,808
1975…….………………
72,291
1976…….…………..
73,759
1977…….…………..
75,193
1978 1…..................
76,576
1979…………………..
78,020
51,228
52,180
53,555
54,624
55,739
56,299
57,174
58,396
59,620
60,726
79.7
79.1
78.9
78.8
78.7
77.9
77.5
77.7
77.9
77.8
48,990
49,390
50,896
52,349
53,024
51,857
53,138
54,728
56,479
57,607
76.2
74.9
75.0
75.5
74.9
71.7
72.0
72.8
73.8
73.8
2,238
2,789
2,659
2,275
2,714
4,442
4,036
3,667
3,142
3,120
4.4
5.3
5.0
4.2
4.9
7.9
7.1
6.3
5.3
5.1
13,076
13,762
14,280
14,667
15,069
15,993
16,585
16,797
16,956
17,293
1980………………….
79,398
1981…...……………..
80,511
1982…...………………
81,523
1983…...…………….
82,531
1984…...……………
83,605
1985…...…………………
84,469
1986 1…...................
85,798
1987…………………….
86,899
1988…...………………
87,857
1989……………………
88,762
61,453
61,974
62,450
63,047
63,835
64,411
65,422
66,207
66,927
67,840
77.4
77.0
76.6
76.4
76.4
76.3
76.3
76.2
76.2
76.4
57,186
57,397
56,271
56,787
59,091
59,891
60,892
62,107
63,273
64,315
72.0
71.3
69.0
68.8
70.7
70.9
71.0
71.5
72.0
72.5
4,267
4,577
6,179
6,260
4,744
4,521
4,530
4,101
3,655
3,525
6.9
7.4
9.9
9.9
7.4
7.0
6.9
6.2
5.5
5.2
17,945
18,537
19,073
19,484
19,771
20,058
20,376
20,692
20,930
20,923
1990 1….......................
90,377
1991…...……………
91,278
1992…...……………….
92,270
1993…...……………..
93,332
1994 1…..................
94,355
1995…...……………
95,178
1996…...………………
96,206
1997 1…....................
97,715
1998 1….......................
98,758
1999 1….........................
99,722
69,011
69,168
69,964
70,404
70,817
71,360
72,087
73,261
73,959
74,512
76.4
75.8
75.8
75.4
75.1
75.0
74.9
75.0
74.9
74.7
65,104
64,223
64,440
65,349
66,450
67,377
68,207
69,685
70,693
71,446
72.0
70.4
69.8
70.0
70.4
70.8
70.9
71.3
71.6
71.6
3,906
4,946
5,523
5,055
4,367
3,983
3,880
3,577
3,266
3,066
5.7
7.2
7.9
7.2
6.2
5.6
5.4
4.9
4.4
4.1
21,367
22,110
22,306
22,927
23,538
23,818
24,119
24,454
24,799
25,210
2000 1….....................
101,964
2001 …………………
103,282
2002 …………………..
104,585
2003 1…...................
106,435
2004 …................
107,710
2005……………………..
109,151
2006………………….
110,605
2007………………….
112,173
2008 1…................
113,113
2009………………….
114,136
76,280
76,886
77,500
78,238
78,980
80,033
81,255
82,136
82,520
82,123
74.8
74.4
74.1
73.5
73.3
73.3
73.5
73.2
73.0
72.0
73,305
73,196
72,903
73,332
74,524
75,973
77,502
78,254
77,486
73,670
71.9
70.9
69.7
68.9
69.2
69.6
70.1
69.8
68.5
64.5
2,975
3,690
4,597
4,906
4,456
4,059
3,753
3,882
5,033
8,453
3.9
4.8
5.9
6.3
5.6
5.1
4.6
4.7
6.1
10.3
25,684
26,396
27,085
28,197
28,730
29,119
29,350
30,036
30,593
32,013
2010….....................
115,174
81,985
71.2
73,359
63.7
8,626
10.5
33,189
1 The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual
changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). For an explanation, see the historical comparability section of the
household data technical documentation provided at http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf
SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
9
9