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Employment–population ratio up over the year; labor force participation rate changed little
March 13, 2019
The employment–population ratio for people age 16 and over was 60.7 percent in February 2019, unchanged from the previous month but up by 0.3 percentage point over the year. The labor force participation rate, at 63.2 percent in February 2019, was also unchanged over the month and has changed little over the year.
Employment–population ratio and labor force participation rate, by selected age group, seasonally adjusted, February 2009–February 2019
Month
Age 16 and over
16 to 24
25 to 54
55 and over
Employment–population ratio
Labor force partcipation rate
Employment–population ratio
Labor force partcipation rate
Employment–population ratio
Labor force partcipation rate
Employment–population ratio
Labor force partcipation rate
Feb 2009
60.3%
65.8%
48.8%
58.1%
76.7%
82.8%
37.6%
39.9%
Mar 2009
59.9
65.6
48.2
57.7
76.2
82.6
37.3
39.9
Apr 2009
59.8
65.7
48.2
57.9
76.2
82.8
37.3
39.8
May 2009
59.6
65.7
47.4
57.5
75.9
82.9
37.5
40.2
Jun 2009
59.4
65.7
47.1
57.5
75.9
82.9
37.4
40.1
Jul 2009
59.3
65.5
47.0
57.2
75.8
82.8
37.3
40.0
Aug 2009
59.1
65.4
46.5
56.7
75.6
82.8
37.3
40.0
Sep 2009
58.7
65.1
45.8
56.1
75.1
82.5
37.2
39.9
Oct 2009
58.5
65.0
44.9
55.4
75.0
82.5
37.2
39.9
Nov 2009
58.6
65.0
44.9
55.6
75.2
82.4
37.2
40.0
Dec 2009
58.3
64.6
44.9
55.3
74.8
82.0
37.0
39.9
Jan 2010
58.5
64.8
44.6
54.9
75.1
82.4
37.2
40.0
Feb 2010
58.5
64.9
44.9
55.2
75.1
82.3
37.2
40.1
Mar 2010
58.5
64.9
44.9
55.3
75.1
82.4
37.4
40.2
Apr 2010
58.7
65.2
45.0
55.9
75.4
82.6
37.5
40.3
May 2010
58.6
64.9
45.4
55.5
75.1
82.3
37.6
40.4
Jun 2010
58.5
64.6
44.7
54.7
75.2
82.2
37.6
40.3
Jul 2010
58.5
64.6
44.9
55.1
75.1
81.9
37.6
40.4
Aug 2010
58.6
64.7
45.7
55.5
75.0
82.0
37.5
40.5
Sep 2010
58.5
64.6
45.0
54.8
75.1
82.0
37.6
40.4
Oct 2010
58.3
64.4
44.9
55.2
75.0
81.8
37.2
40.0
Nov 2010
58.2
64.6
45.1
55.4
74.8
82.0
37.3
40.1
Dec 2010
58.3
64.3
44.9
54.7
75.0
81.9
37.4
40.2
Jan 2011
58.3
64.2
45.3
55.3
75.2
81.7
37.2
39.9
Feb 2011
58.4
64.1
45.2
54.9
75.1
81.6
37.4
40.0
Mar 2011
58.4
64.2
45.4
55.1
75.3
81.7
37.4
40.0
Apr 2011
58.4
64.2
45.2
54.8
75.1
81.7
37.6
40.2
May 2011
58.3
64.1
45.1
54.5
75.2
81.7
37.5
40.2
Jun 2011
58.2
64.0
45.1
54.4
75.0
81.7
37.5
40.2
Jul 2011
58.2
64.0
44.9
54.2
75.0
81.4
37.5
40.2
Aug 2011
58.3
64.1
45.5
55.1
75.1
81.6
37.6
40.3
Sep 2011
58.4
64.2
45.7
55.3
74.9
81.5
37.9
40.6
Oct 2011
58.4
64.1
46.3
55.6
74.9
81.3
37.8
40.6
Nov 2011
58.6
64.1
46.0
55.4
75.3
81.5
37.8
40.4
Dec 2011
58.6
64.0
45.9
55.2
75.4
81.6
37.8
40.3
Jan 2012
58.4
63.7
45.8
54.6
75.5
81.5
37.7
40.1
Feb 2012
58.5
63.8
45.8
54.9
75.5
81.5
38.0
40.4
Mar 2012
58.5
63.8
45.8
54.7
75.7
81.5
37.9
40.4
Apr 2012
58.4
63.7
45.7
54.7
75.7
81.4
37.7
40.3
May 2012
58.5
63.7
46.0
54.8
75.7
81.4
37.9
40.5
Jun 2012
58.6
63.8
46.1
55.0
75.6
81.5
38.1
40.6
Jul 2012
58.5
63.7
46.1
55.1
75.6
81.4
37.7
40.2
Aug 2012
58.4
63.5
45.2
54.3
75.7
81.4
38.1
40.4
Sep 2012
58.7
63.6
46.2
54.7
76.0
81.5
38.1
40.4
Oct 2012
58.8
63.8
46.4
55.2
76.1
81.6
38.3
40.7
Nov 2012
58.7
63.6
46.5
55.3
75.8
81.2
38.3
40.7
Dec 2012
58.7
63.7
46.1
55.2
76.0
81.4
38.3
40.7
Jan 2013
58.6
63.7
46.3
55.6
75.6
81.1
38.3
40.7
Feb 2013
58.6
63.4
46.0
55.0
75.8
81.0
38.2
40.6
Mar 2013
58.5
63.3
45.6
54.3
75.8
81.0
38.2
40.5
Apr 2013
58.6
63.4
46.2
55.2
75.8
81.0
38.2
40.4
May 2013
58.6
63.4
45.9
54.9
76.0
81.2
38.3
40.5
Jun 2013
58.6
63.4
46.5
55.4
75.9
81.2
38.3
40.5
Jul 2013
58.7
63.3
46.7
55.1
76.0
81.2
38.2
40.2
Aug 2013
58.7
63.3
46.3
54.9
76.0
81.0
38.4
40.4
Sep 2013
58.7
63.2
47.2
55.6
76.0
81.0
38.0
40.1
Oct 2013
58.3
62.8
46.7
54.8
75.6
80.6
37.9
40.1
Nov 2013
58.6
63.0
47.1
54.8
76.1
81.0
38.0
39.9
Dec 2013
58.7
62.9
47.4
54.7
76.1
80.8
37.9
39.9
Jan 2014
58.8
62.9
46.8
54.5
76.4
80.9
38.0
39.9
Feb 2014
58.7
62.9
46.3
54.1
76.4
81.1
38.2
40.0
Mar 2014
58.9
63.1
47.4
55.5
76.5
81.1
38.0
39.9
Apr 2014
58.9
62.8
47.4
54.5
76.5
80.8
38.1
39.9
May 2014
58.9
62.9
47.6
54.9
76.4
80.7
38.2
40.1
Jun 2014
59.0
62.8
47.4
54.6
76.9
81.0
38.2
39.9
Jul 2014
59.0
62.9
47.8
55.3
76.7
80.8
38.2
40.0
Aug 2014
59.0
62.9
47.4
54.6
76.9
81.1
38.1
39.9
Sep 2014
59.1
62.8
47.6
55.2
76.8
80.8
38.3
39.9
Oct 2014
59.3
62.9
49.1
56.1
76.9
80.9
38.3
40.0
Nov 2014
59.2
62.9
48.7
55.7
76.9
80.9
38.3
40.1
Dec 2014
59.3
62.8
48.3
55.0
77.1
80.9
38.4
39.9
Jan 2015
59.3
62.9
48.3
55.0
77.1
81.0
38.4
40.1
Feb 2015
59.2
62.7
48.6
55.2
77.2
80.9
38.0
39.7
Mar 2015
59.2
62.6
47.9
54.7
77.1
80.8
38.4
39.9
Apr 2015
59.3
62.7
48.1
54.5
77.2
81.0
38.5
40.1
May 2015
59.4
62.9
48.8
55.6
77.2
81.0
38.5
40.0
Jun 2015
59.3
62.6
48.4
55.0
77.4
80.9
38.4
39.9
Jul 2015
59.3
62.6
48.6
54.9
77.1
80.7
38.5
40.0
Aug 2015
59.4
62.6
49.1
55.2
77.3
80.7
38.3
39.8
Sep 2015
59.2
62.4
48.4
54.5
77.2
80.6
38.2
39.7
Oct 2015
59.3
62.5
49.0
55.0
77.3
80.8
38.5
39.9
Nov 2015
59.4
62.6
48.8
54.9
77.4
80.9
38.5
40.0
Dec 2015
59.6
62.7
49.5
55.6
77.4
81.0
38.6
39.9
Jan 2016
59.7
62.7
49.3
54.8
77.7
81.2
38.6
40.0
Feb 2016
59.8
62.8
49.5
55.3
77.8
81.1
38.6
40.1
Mar 2016
59.8
62.9
49.4
55.3
77.9
81.4
38.6
40.2
Apr 2016
59.7
62.8
49.0
55.1
77.7
81.2
38.6
40.1
May 2016
59.7
62.7
49.4
55.2
77.8
81.1
38.4
39.8
Jun 2016
59.6
62.7
49.0
54.8
77.9
81.3
38.6
40.0
Jul 2016
59.7
62.8
49.0
54.9
77.9
81.2
38.7
40.2
Aug 2016
59.8
62.9
50.0
55.7
77.9
81.3
38.5
39.9
Sep 2016
59.8
62.9
49.5
55.3
78.0
81.5
38.6
40.0
Oct 2016
59.7
62.8
49.3
55.0
78.2
81.6
38.5
40.0
Nov 2016
59.8
62.7
49.8
55.3
78.1
81.4
38.5
39.9
Dec 2016
59.8
62.7
49.9
55.3
78.1
81.4
38.3
39.7
Jan 2017
59.9
62.9
50.0
55.5
78.2
81.5
38.6
40.0
Feb 2017
59.9
62.9
50.2
55.6
78.3
81.6
38.6
40.0
Mar 2017
60.1
62.9
50.6
55.7
78.5
81.6
38.8
40.1
Apr 2017
60.2
62.9
50.5
55.8
78.6
81.7
38.6
39.9
May 2017
60.0
62.8
50.3
55.1
78.4
81.6
38.7
39.9
Jun 2017
60.1
62.8
50.2
55.2
78.6
81.6
38.7
40.0
Jul 2017
60.1
62.9
50.5
55.4
78.6
81.8
38.7
40.0
Aug 2017
60.1
62.9
50.8
55.8
78.5
81.7
38.8
40.1
Sep 2017
60.4
63.1
51.1
56.2
78.9
81.8
38.9
40.1
Oct 2017
60.2
62.7
50.5
55.5
78.9
81.6
38.6
39.9
Nov 2017
60.1
62.8
49.8
55.1
79.0
81.8
38.7
39.9
Dec 2017
60.2
62.7
49.7
54.6
79.1
81.9
38.5
39.8
Jan 2018
60.2
62.7
50.7
55.8
79.0
81.8
38.4
39.6
Feb 2018
60.4
63.0
50.9
55.9
79.3
82.1
38.6
39.9
Mar 2018
60.4
62.9
51.1
55.9
79.2
82.0
38.6
39.8
Apr 2018
60.3
62.8
50.5
55.2
79.2
81.9
38.7
39.9
May 2018
60.4
62.8
50.3
55.1
79.2
81.8
39.0
40.1
Jun 2018
60.4
62.9
50.4
55.3
79.3
82.1
38.8
40.1
Jul 2018
60.5
62.9
50.7
55.4
79.5
82.1
38.9
40.1
Aug 2018
60.3
62.7
49.3
53.8
79.4
82.0
39.0
40.2
Sep 2018
60.4
62.7
50.4
55.0
79.3
81.8
39.0
40.1
Oct 2018
60.6
62.9
50.5
55.0
79.7
82.3
38.9
40.1
Nov 2018
60.6
62.9
50.5
55.0
79.7
82.2
39.0
40.2
Dec 2018
60.6
63.1
50.4
55.2
79.7
82.3
39.2
40.3
Jan 2019
60.7
63.2
50.5
55.5
79.9
82.6
39.1
40.3
Feb 2019
60.7
63.2
50.4
55.3
79.9
82.5
39.3
40.4
Among people age 16 to 24, the employment–population ratio was 50.4 percent in February 2019, and the labor force participation rate was 55.3 percent. For people age 25 to 54, the employment–population ratio was 79.9 percent and the participation rate was 82.5 percent. For those age 55 and over, the employment–population ratio was 39.3 percent and the participation rate was 40.4 percent.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — February 2019.” More charts featuring Current Population Survey data are presented in Charts related to the latest “The Employment Situation” news release. The employment–population ratio is the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population that is employed. The labor force participation rate is the labor force (the sum of the employed and the unemployed) as a percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population.
United States Department of Labor
