For an in-depth discussion of employment and demographics, please review this 2017 edition of the Research Navigator which discusses employment data. Also read Disability Employment Research: Key Takeaways.
The Current Population Survey (CPS)
The CPS is a monthly survey of a representative sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population ages 16 and up, not including U.S. Territories.
To understand employment statistics, you need to know the meaning of some important terms. Refer to the Employment Terms section of our Key Definitions of Statistical Terms page for definitions of terms used in the statistics below.
Tables:
- Annual Labor Force Participation Rate
- Monthly Employment Population Ratio: Ages 16-64
- Monthly Employment Population Ratio: Ages 16 and Up
- Annual Employment Population Ratio by Sex: Ages 16-64
- Annual Employment Population Ratio by Sex: Ages 16 and Up
In the following tables, numbers not in parentheses are estimates for people with visual impairment. Numbers in parentheses are estimates for people without visual impairments.
Annual Labor Force Participation Rate (based on March CPS)1
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|
Ages 16-64 |
40% |
41% |
43% |
39% |
34% |
34% |
35% |
|
(74%) |
(74%) |
(74%) |
(74%) |
(73%) |
(73%) |
(73%) |
|
|
Ages 16+ |
23% |
24% |
25% |
23% |
19% |
20% |
21% |
|
(63%) |
(64%) |
(64%) |
(64%) |
(64%) |
(63%) |
(64%) |
Monthly Employment Population Ratio (ages 16-64)1
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
|
2020 |
36% |
36% |
36% |
33% |
31% |
33% |
35% |
34% |
||||
|
(72%) |
(72%) |
(71%) |
(61%) |
(63%) |
(65%) |
(66%) |
(67%) |
|||||
|
2019 |
39% |
38% |
38% |
36% |
36% |
37% |
36% |
36% |
35% |
35% |
37% |
37% |
|
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
|
|
2018 |
37% |
37% |
40% |
40% |
37% |
37% |
36% |
38% |
39% |
39% |
37% |
39% |
|
(70%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(72%) |
(72%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
|
|
2017 |
31% |
34% |
35% |
35% |
35% |
34% |
34% |
35% |
37% |
38% |
37% |
38% |
|
(69%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
(71%) |
|
|
2016 |
30% |
29% |
30% |
31% |
33% |
32% |
31% |
33% |
33% |
32% |
31% |
32% |
|
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
|
|
2015 |
31% |
32% |
30% |
32% |
34% |
34% |
35% |
35% |
32% |
32% |
30% |
31% |
|
(68%) |
(68%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(70%) |
(70%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
|
|
2014 |
29% |
29% |
30% |
31% |
30% |
31% |
29% |
29% |
31% |
30% |
32% |
32% |
|
(67%) |
(68%) |
(68%) |
(68%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
(69%) |
Monthly Employment Population Ratio (ages 16 and up)1
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
|
2020 |
21% |
21% |
21% |
18% |
16% |
18% |
19% |
19% |
||||
|
(61%) |
(62%) |
(60%) |
(52%) |
(53%) |
(55%) |
(56%) |
(57%) |
|||||
|
2019 |
22% |
22% |
23% |
21% |
20% |
21% |
20% |
20% |
21% |
21% |
21% |
21% |
|
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(62%) |
(62%) |
(61%) |
(62%) |
(62%) |
(62%) |
(62%) |
|
|
2018 |
22% |
21% |
23% |
23% |
21% |
21% |
21% |
22% |
23% |
23% |
21% |
21% |
|
(60%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(62%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
|
|
2017 |
18% |
20% |
20% |
20% |
20% |
19% |
19% |
20% |
22% |
22% |
21% |
22% |
|
(60%) |
(60%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
|
|
2016 |
18% |
17% |
17% |
17% |
18% |
18% |
18% |
19% |
19% |
19% |
18% |
19% |
|
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(60%) |
(61%) |
(61%) |
(60%) |
|
|
2015 |
18% |
19% |
18% |
19% |
20% |
20% |
20% |
20% |
19% |
19% |
18% |
18% |
|
(59%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
|
|
2014 |
18% |
18% |
18% |
18% |
17% |
18% |
17% |
17% |
19% |
18% |
19% |
19% |
|
(59%) |
(59%) |
(59%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
(60%) |
Annual Employment Population Ratio by Sex (based on March CPS): Ages 16-641
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|
Females ages 16-64 |
35% |
34% |
37% |
31% |
28% |
27% |
29% |
|
(66%) |
(67%) |
(66%) |
(66%) |
(65%) |
(64%) |
(63%) |
|
|
Males ages 16-64 |
39% |
40% |
39% |
37% |
30% |
34% |
29% |
|
(75%) |
(76%) |
(76%) |
(75%) |
(74%) |
(73%) |
(73%) |
Annual Employment Population Ratio by Sex (based on March CPS): Ages 16 and up1
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|
Females ages 16 and up |
18% |
19% |
20% |
17% |
15% |
15% |
14% |
|
(55%) |
(56%) |
(56%) |
(56%) |
(55%) |
(55%) |
(54%) |
|
|
Males ages 16 and up |
24% |
25% |
26% |
23% |
19% |
23% |
21% |
|
(65%) |
(66%) |
(66%) |
(66%) |
(66%) |
(65%) |
(65%) |
- Data source: The data on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (CPS), CPS Basic Monthly data, which can be accessed using the Census Bureau’s microdata exploration tools. The CPS asks the same question about visual impairment which is asked in the Census Bureau's American Community Survey: is the person blind or does he/she "have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?"
