Chart 3. Labor force participation rate of prime-age population (ages 25 to 54), total, men, and women, 1980–2020 and 2020–30 projected (in percent)
Year Total Men Women

1970

72.0 95.8 50.1

1971

72.0 95.5 50.3

1972

72.2 95.1 51.0

1973

72.9 95.0 52.3

1974

73.6 94.7 53.9

1975

74.1 94.4 55.1

1976

74.9 94.2 56.8

1977

75.8 94.2 58.5

1978

76.9 94.3 60.6

1979

77.9 94.4 62.3

1980

78.6 94.2 64.0

1981

79.3 94.1 65.3

1982

79.8 94.0 66.3

1983

80.1 93.8 67.1

1984

80.7 93.9 68.2

1985

81.5 93.9 69.6

1986

82.0 93.8 70.8

1987

82.5 93.7 71.9

1988

82.9 93.6 72.7

1989

83.4 93.7 73.6

1990

83.5 93.4 74.0

1991

83.4 93.1 74.1

1992

83.6 93.0 74.6

1993

83.4 92.6 74.6

1994

83.4 91.7 75.3

1995

83.5 91.6 75.6

1996

83.8 91.8 76.1

1997

84.1 91.8 76.7

1998

84.1 91.8 76.5

1999

84.1 91.7 76.8

2000

84.0 91.6 76.7

2001

83.7 91.3 76.4

2002

83.3 91.0 75.9

2003

83.0 90.6 75.6

2004

82.8 90.5 75.3

2005

82.8 90.5 75.3

2006

82.9 90.6 75.5

2007

83.0 90.9 75.4

2008

83.1 90.5 75.8

2009

82.6 89.7 75.6

2010

82.2 89.3 75.2

2011

81.6 88.7 74.7

2012

81.4 88.7 74.5

2013

81.0 88.4 73.9

2014

80.9 88.2 73.9

2015

80.9 88.3 73.7

2016

81.3 88.5 74.3

2017

81.7 88.6 75.0

2018

82.1 89.0 75.3

2019

82.5 89.1 76.0

2020

81.4 87.9 75.1

2021 projected

82.2 88.6 75.9

2022 projected

82.1 88.4 75.9

2023 projected

82.0 88.2 76.0

2024 projected

81.9 88.0 76.0

2025 projected

81.8 87.8 76.0

2026 projected

81.7 87.5 76.0

2027 projected

81.7 87.3 76.1

2028 projected

81.6 87.1 76.1

2029 projected

81.5 86.9 76.1

2030 projected

81.4 86.6 76.1

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.