United States labour force participation rate history

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United States labour force participation rate history: choose a year or date to look up past values. Preview the observations and download your selection.

61.8%September 2026Latest published observation

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History starts: January 1948
History ends: September 2026
Frequency: Monthly observations
Unit: Percent

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12 observations · January 1950 to December 1950

Selected historical observations
Date or period	Value · Percent	Source
January 1950	58.9%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
February 1950	58.9%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
March 1950	58.8%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
April 1950	59.2%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
May 1950	59.1%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
June 1950	59.4%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
July 1950	59.1%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
August 1950	59.5%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
September 1950	59.2%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
October 1950	59.4%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
November 1950	59.3%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
December 1950	59.2%	Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau

United States labour force participation rate history by year

Full history →

United States labour force participation rate history by year
Year	Average	High	Low	Change
2026 (to date)	61.8%	62.1%January 2026	61.4%July 2026	▼ −0.3
2025	62.4%	62.6%January 2025	62.2%July 2025	▼ −0.2
2024	62.6%	62.7%March 2024	62.4%November 2024	0.0
2023	62.6%	62.8%August 2023	62.4%January 2023	▲ +0.1
2022	62.2%	62.4%March 2022	62.1%July 2022	▲ +0.1
2021	61.7%	62.0%December 2021	61.4%January 2021	▲ +0.6
2020	61.7%	63.3%January 2020	60.1%April 2020	▼ −1.8
2019	63.1%	63.3%October 2019	62.8%April 2019	▲ +0.2
2018	62.9%	63.0%February 2018	62.6%August 2018	▲ +0.3
2017	62.9%	63.1%September 2017	62.7%October 2017	▼ −0.1
2016	62.8%	63.0%March 2016	62.7%January 2016	0.0
2015	62.7%	62.9%January 2015	62.4%September 2015	▼ −0.2
2014	62.9%	63.1%March 2014	62.8%April 2014	▼ −0.1
2013	63.3%	63.7%January 2013	62.8%October 2013	▼ −0.8
2012	63.7%	63.8%February 2012	63.5%August 2012	0.0
2011	64.1%	64.2%January 2011	64.0%June 2011	▼ −0.2
2010	64.7%	65.2%April 2010	64.3%December 2010	▼ −0.5
2009	65.4%	65.8%February 2009	64.6%December 2009	▼ −1.1
2008	66.0%	66.2%January 2008	65.8%December 2008	▼ −0.4
2007	66.0%	66.4%January 2007	65.8%August 2007	▼ −0.4

Show all

United States labour force participation rate history by year
Year	Average	High	Low	Change
2006	66.2%	66.4%December 2006	66.0%January 2006	▲ +0.4
2005	66.0%	66.2%August 2005	65.8%January 2005	▲ +0.2
2004	66.0%	66.1%January 2004	65.8%September 2004	▼ −0.2
2003	66.2%	66.5%June 2003	65.9%December 2003	▼ −0.5
2002	66.6%	66.8%February 2002	66.3%December 2002	▼ −0.2
2001	66.8%	67.2%January 2001	66.5%August 2001	▼ −0.5
2000	67.1%	67.3%January 2000	66.8%October 2000	▼ −0.3
1999	67.1%	67.2%January 1999	67.0%March 1999	▼ −0.1
1998	67.1%	67.2%September 1998	67.0%April 1998	▲ +0.1
1997	67.1%	67.2%July 1997	66.9%February 1997	▲ +0.2
1996	66.8%	67.0%October 1996	66.4%January 1996	▲ +0.6
1995	66.6%	66.9%April 1995	66.4%December 1995	▼ −0.4
1994	66.6%	66.7%October 1994	66.4%June 1994	▲ +0.1
1993	66.3%	66.5%June 1993	66.1%April 1993	▲ +0.2
1992	66.4%	66.7%June 1992	66.2%February 1992	0.0
1991	66.2%	66.4%April 1991	66.0%August 1991	▼ −0.2
1990	66.5%	66.8%January 1990	66.4%June 1990	▼ −0.4
1989	66.4%	66.6%November 1989	66.3%February 1989	0.0
1988	65.9%	66.2%November 1988	65.7%March 1988	▲ +0.3
1987	65.6%	65.7%May 1987	65.4%January 1987	▲ +0.3
1986	65.2%	65.4%June 1986	64.9%January 1986	▲ +0.4
1985	64.8%	65.0%October 1985	64.6%June 1985	▲ +0.3
1984	64.4%	64.6%June 1984	63.9%January 1984	▲ +0.7
1983	64.0%	64.3%June 1983	63.7%March 1983	▲ +0.2
1982	64.0%	64.2%May 1982	63.7%January 1982	▲ +0.4
1981	63.9%	64.3%May 1981	63.5%September 1981	▼ −0.3
1980	63.8%	64.0%January 1980	63.6%September 1980	▼ −0.4
1979	63.7%	63.9%December 1979	63.3%May 1979	▲ +0.3
1978	63.2%	63.6%December 1978	62.7%February 1978	▲ +0.8
1977	62.2%	62.8%November 1977	61.6%January 1977	▲ +1.1
1976	61.6%	61.9%November 1976	61.3%January 1976	▲ +0.5
1975	61.2%	61.5%May 1975	61.0%February 1975	▼ −0.3
1974	61.3%	61.4%February 1974	61.1%April 1974	▼ −0.1
1973	60.8%	61.2%November 1973	60.0%January 1973	▲ +1.2
1972	60.4%	60.6%August 1972	60.2%January 1972	▲ +0.3
1971	60.2%	60.4%January 1971	59.8%June 1971	0.0
1970	60.4%	60.6%March 1970	60.2%June 1970	0.0
1969	60.1%	60.4%October 1969	59.6%January 1969	▲ +0.6
1968	59.6%	60.0%June 1968	59.2%January 1968	▲ +0.5
1967	59.6%	59.9%October 1967	59.1%March 1967	▲ +0.4
1966	59.2%	59.6%November 1966	58.8%February 1966	▲ +0.5
1965	58.8%	59.1%July 1965	58.6%January 1965	▲ +0.4
1964	58.7%	59.1%April 1964	58.5%November 1964	0.0
1963	58.7%	58.8%April 1963	58.5%June 1963	▼ −0.1
1962	58.8%	59.0%February 1962	58.4%December 1962	▼ −0.4
1961	59.3%	59.7%March 1961	58.8%December 1961	▼ −0.8
1960	59.4%	59.8%November 1960	58.5%March 1960	▲ +0.6
1959	59.3%	59.5%December 1959	59.0%February 1959	▲ +0.2
1958	59.5%	59.8%May 1958	59.2%November 1958	▼ −0.1
1957	59.6%	60.0%July 1957	59.3%August 1957	▲ +0.1
1956	60.0%	60.2%January 1956	59.8%March 1956	▼ −0.4
1955	59.2%	60.2%December 1955	58.4%February 1955	▲ +1.6
1954	58.8%	59.3%February 1954	58.1%December 1954	▼ −0.5
1953	58.9%	59.6%March 1953	58.3%December 1953	▼ −1.2
1952	59.1%	59.5%January 1952	58.7%August 1952	▼ −0.3
1951	59.3%	59.8%March 1951	59.0%June 1951	▲ +0.5
1950	59.2%	59.5%August 1950	58.8%March 1950	▲ +0.3
1949	59.0%	59.6%October 1949	58.6%June 1949	▲ +0.5
1948	58.8%	59.3%July 1948	58.3%May 1948	▲ +0.5

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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau; API reference →
Series: United States labour force participation rate history; View chart →