US labor force participation rate since 1948: any month, records and yearly averages
The labor force participation rate is the share of people aged 16 and over who are working or looking for work. Look up any month since January 1948, compare any two months, and see the records and the average for every year, alongside the employment-population ratio. The latest rate is 61.9% for October 2026.
Updated 12 November 2026. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey. The unemployment rate from the same survey: US unemployment rate tracker. Jobs on payrolls: US nonfarm payrolls calculator.
In October 2026, the US labor force participation rate was 61.9% and the employment-population ratio was 59.3%, seasonally adjusted. Participation was up 0.1 percentage points from September 2026. Participation was higher than this in 567 of the 945 months on record since January 1948. The record high is 67.3%, first reached in January 2000.
Key figures
- The US labor force participation rate was 61.9% in October 2026, up 0.1 percentage points from September 2026. The employment-population ratio was 59.3%. #
- Participation a year earlier is not available. #
- The highest participation rate on record was 67.3%, first reached in January 2000; the lowest was 58.1% in December 1954. #
- In February 2020, before the pandemic, participation was 63.3%; it fell to 60.1% in April 2020 and is now 1.4 percentage points below the pre-pandemic level. #
- The employment-population ratio, the share of people 16 and over with a job, peaked at 64.7% in April 2000 and hit a low of 51.2% in April 2020. #
- The highest yearly average participation rate was 67.1% in 1997; the lowest was 58.7% in 1963. #
Download chart
A ready-to-use line chart of the monthly US labor force participation rate from January 1948 to October 2026, with the MastheadWire source credit printed on the image. It is refreshed with this page and currently shows data through October 2026. Values are the seasonally adjusted civilian labor force participation rate in percent.
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Labor force participation for the last 24 months
The participation rate, its change on the month before and on a year earlier in percentage points, and the employment-population ratio. Each row has its own link, for example #month-2026-10.
| Month | Participation rate | Monthly change | Change on a year earlier | Employment-population ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 61.9% | +0.1 | 59.3% | |
| September 2026 | 61.8% | +0.2 | −0.7 | 59.2% |
| August 2026 | 61.6% | +0.2 | −0.7 | 59.1% |
| July 2026 | 61.4% | −0.1 | −0.8 | 58.9% |
| June 2026 | 61.5% | −0.3 | −0.8 | 59.0% |
| May 2026 | 61.8% | ±0.0 | −0.6 | 59.2% |
| April 2026 | 61.8% | −0.1 | −0.8 | 59.1% |
| March 2026 | 61.9% | −0.1 | −0.6 | 59.2% |
| February 2026 | 62.0% | −0.1 | −0.5 | 59.3% |
| January 2026 | 62.1% | −0.3 | −0.5 | 59.4% |
| December 2025 | 62.4% | −0.1 | −0.1 | 59.7% |
| November 2025 | 62.5% | ±0.0 | +0.1 | 59.6% |
| September 2025 | 62.5% | +0.2 | −0.2 | 59.7% |
| August 2025 | 62.3% | +0.1 | −0.4 | 59.6% |
| July 2025 | 62.2% | −0.1 | −0.5 | 59.6% |
| June 2025 | 62.3% | −0.1 | −0.3 | 59.7% |
| May 2025 | 62.4% | −0.2 | −0.2 | 59.7% |
| April 2025 | 62.6% | +0.1 | ±0.0 | 60.0% |
| March 2025 | 62.5% | ±0.0 | −0.2 | 59.9% |
| February 2025 | 62.5% | −0.1 | −0.1 | 59.9% |
| January 2025 | 62.6% | +0.1 | +0.1 | 60.1% |
| December 2024 | 62.5% | +0.1 | ±0.0 | 59.9% |
| November 2024 | 62.4% | −0.1 | −0.4 | 59.8% |
Average participation rate in every year since 1948
Averages of the monthly rates for each calendar year, newest first; the latest year runs to October 2026, with the year's high and low. Each row has its own link, for example #year-2025.
| Year | Participation rate | Employment-population ratio | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to October) | 61.8% | 59.2% | 62.1% | 61.4% |
| 2025 | 62.4% | 59.8% | 62.6% | 62.2% |
| 2024 | 62.6% | 60.1% | 62.7% | 62.4% |
| 2023 | 62.6% | 60.3% | 62.8% | 62.4% |
| 2022 | 62.2% | 60.0% | 62.4% | 62.1% |
| 2021 | 61.7% | 58.4% | 62.0% | 61.4% |
| 2020 | 61.7% | 56.8% | 63.3% | 60.1% |
| 2019 | 63.1% | 60.8% | 63.3% | 62.8% |
| 2018 | 62.9% | 60.4% | 63.0% | 62.6% |
| 2017 | 62.9% | 60.1% | 63.1% | 62.7% |
| 2016 | 62.8% | 59.7% | 63.0% | 62.7% |
| 2015 | 62.7% | 59.3% | 62.9% | 62.4% |
| 2014 | 62.9% | 59.0% | 63.1% | 62.8% |
| 2013 | 63.3% | 58.6% | 63.7% | 62.8% |
| 2012 | 63.7% | 58.6% | 63.8% | 63.5% |
| 2011 | 64.1% | 58.4% | 64.2% | 64.0% |
| 2010 | 64.7% | 58.5% | 65.2% | 64.3% |
| 2009 | 65.4% | 59.3% | 65.8% | 64.6% |
| 2008 | 66.0% | 62.2% | 66.2% | 65.8% |
| 2007 | 66.0% | 63.0% | 66.4% | 65.8% |
| 2006 | 66.2% | 63.1% | 66.4% | 66.0% |
| 2005 | 66.0% | 62.7% | 66.2% | 65.8% |
| 2004 | 66.0% | 62.4% | 66.1% | 65.8% |
| 2003 | 66.2% | 62.3% | 66.5% | 65.9% |
| 2002 | 66.6% | 62.7% | 66.8% | 66.3% |
| 2001 | 66.8% | 63.7% | 67.2% | 66.5% |
| 2000 | 67.1% | 64.4% | 67.3% | 66.8% |
| 1999 | 67.1% | 64.3% | 67.2% | 67.0% |
| 1998 | 67.1% | 64.1% | 67.2% | 67.0% |
| 1997 | 67.1% | 63.8% | 67.2% | 66.9% |
| 1996 | 66.8% | 63.2% | 67.0% | 66.4% |
| 1995 | 66.6% | 62.9% | 66.9% | 66.4% |
| 1994 | 66.6% | 62.5% | 66.7% | 66.4% |
| 1993 | 66.3% | 61.7% | 66.5% | 66.1% |
| 1992 | 66.4% | 61.5% | 66.7% | 66.2% |
| 1991 | 66.2% | 61.6% | 66.4% | 66.0% |
| 1990 | 66.5% | 62.8% | 66.8% | 66.4% |
| 1989 | 66.4% | 62.9% | 66.6% | 66.3% |
| 1988 | 65.9% | 62.3% | 66.2% | 65.7% |
| 1987 | 65.6% | 61.5% | 65.7% | 65.4% |
| 1986 | 65.2% | 60.7% | 65.4% | 64.9% |
| 1985 | 64.8% | 60.1% | 65.0% | 64.6% |
| 1984 | 64.4% | 59.5% | 64.6% | 63.9% |
| 1983 | 64.0% | 57.9% | 64.3% | 63.7% |
| 1982 | 64.0% | 57.8% | 64.2% | 63.7% |
| 1981 | 63.9% | 59.0% | 64.3% | 63.5% |
| 1980 | 63.8% | 59.2% | 64.0% | 63.6% |
| 1979 | 63.6% | 59.9% | 63.9% | 63.3% |
| 1978 | 63.1% | 59.3% | 63.6% | 62.7% |
| 1977 | 62.2% | 57.9% | 62.8% | 61.6% |
| 1976 | 61.6% | 56.8% | 61.9% | 61.3% |
| 1975 | 61.2% | 56.0% | 61.5% | 61.0% |
| 1974 | 61.3% | 57.8% | 61.4% | 61.1% |
| 1973 | 60.8% | 57.8% | 61.2% | 60.0% |
| 1972 | 60.4% | 57.0% | 60.6% | 60.2% |
| 1971 | 60.2% | 56.6% | 60.4% | 59.8% |
| 1970 | 60.4% | 57.4% | 60.6% | 60.2% |
| 1969 | 60.1% | 58.0% | 60.4% | 59.6% |
| 1968 | 59.6% | 57.5% | 60.0% | 59.2% |
| 1967 | 59.6% | 57.3% | 59.9% | 59.1% |
| 1966 | 59.1% | 56.9% | 59.6% | 58.8% |
| 1965 | 58.8% | 56.2% | 59.1% | 58.6% |
| 1964 | 58.7% | 55.7% | 59.1% | 58.5% |
| 1963 | 58.7% | 55.4% | 58.8% | 58.5% |
| 1962 | 58.8% | 55.5% | 59.0% | 58.4% |
| 1961 | 59.3% | 55.4% | 59.7% | 58.8% |
| 1960 | 59.4% | 56.1% | 59.8% | 58.5% |
| 1959 | 59.3% | 56.0% | 59.5% | 59.0% |
| 1958 | 59.5% | 55.4% | 59.8% | 59.2% |
| 1957 | 59.6% | 57.1% | 60.0% | 59.3% |
| 1956 | 60.0% | 57.5% | 60.2% | 59.8% |
| 1955 | 59.2% | 56.6% | 60.2% | 58.4% |
| 1954 | 58.8% | 55.5% | 59.3% | 58.1% |
| 1953 | 58.9% | 57.2% | 59.6% | 58.3% |
| 1952 | 59.1% | 57.3% | 59.5% | 58.7% |
| 1951 | 59.3% | 57.3% | 59.8% | 59.0% |
| 1950 | 59.2% | 56.1% | 59.5% | 58.8% |
| 1949 | 59.0% | 55.5% | 59.6% | 58.6% |
| 1948 | 58.8% | 56.6% | 59.3% | 58.3% |
Examples
April 2020
In April 2020, the US labor force participation rate was 60.1% and the employment-population ratio was 51.2%, seasonally adjusted. Participation was down 2.5 percentage points from March 2020. A year earlier, in April 2019, it was 62.8%. Participation was higher than this in 680 of the 945 months on record since January 1948. The record high is 67.3%, first reached in January 2000. The latest figure, for October 2026, is 61.9%.
February 2020 to October 2026
From February 2020 to October 2026, the US labor force participation rate went from 63.3% to 61.9% (down 1.4 percentage points). The employment-population ratio went from 61.1% to 59.3% (down 1.8 percentage points). Over that period participation peaked at 63.3% in February 2020 and was lowest at 60.1% in April 2020.
Download the data
- US labor force participation rate for every month since January 1948 (CSV): 946 rows with the participation rate, the employment-population ratio and the monthly change in points.
- Yearly averages since 1948 (CSV): 79 rows with the average participation rate and employment-population ratio and the year's high and low.
Free to reuse with credit to MastheadWire and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and a link to this page, under CC BY 4.0.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the latest US labor force participation rate?
The US labor force participation rate was 61.9% in October 2026, up 0.1 percentage points from September 2026. The employment-population ratio was 59.3%.
How has the participation rate changed over the past year?
Participation a year earlier is not available.
What are the record high and low participation rates?
The highest participation rate on record was 67.3%, first reached in January 2000; the lowest was 58.1% in December 1954.
What is the latest employment-population ratio?
The employment-population ratio, the share of people 16 and over with a job, peaked at 64.7% in April 2000 and hit a low of 51.2% in April 2020.
How does participation compare with February 2020?
In February 2020, before the pandemic, participation was 63.3%; it fell to 60.1% in April 2020 and is now 1.4 percentage points below the pre-pandemic level.
Where does this data come from and how often is it updated?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey (civilian labor force participation rate and employment-population ratio), as published on FRED series CIVPART and EMRATIO. This page is updated daily.
How to cite this
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Methods and sources
Figures are the civilian labor force participation rate and employment-population ratio, seasonally adjusted, in percent, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey of households (BLS series LNS11300000 and LNS12300000), as published on FRED (CIVPART and EMRATIO) from January 1948. The participation rate is the labor force (people working plus people unemployed and looking for work) divided by the civilian population aged 16 and over outside institutions; the employment-population ratio is people with a job divided by the same population. Both are published to one decimal place, and yearly figures are simple averages of the months. No figures were published for October 2025, when the survey was not carried out during the federal government shutdown, so that month is left out of the yearly averages. The figures use today's revised data. This page is updated daily.
Primary source: Current Population Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (FRED series CIVPART and EMRATIO). This page is updated daily (last updated 12 November 2026).