Civilian Non-institutional Labor Force in United States 1988-2023.
The labor force is a subset of population that includes non-institutional people 16 and older, not in the military, and who are working or looking for work. In May 2023, employed people (16 or 16 +) were 60.3% of the civilian non-institutional population (16 or higher). Unemployed people in May 2023 were 3.7% of the labor force.
The size of civilian non institutional labor force in United States was 162.1 million in 2018, rising from 160 million in 2017.
The following table shows the size of the total civilian non-institutional labor force in United States from 1988 to 2023. Figures are in thousands.
| Total | Total | Employed | Employed | Unemployed | Unemployed | Not in Labor Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian Non-Inst. Population | Number | % of population | Number | % of population | Number | % of labor force | ||
| 1988 | 184,613 | 121,669 | 65.9 | 114,968 | 62.3 | 6,701 | 5.5 | 62,944 |
| 1989 | 186,393 | 123,869 | 66.5 | 117,342 | 63.0 | 6,528 | 5.3 | 62,523 |
| 1990 | 189,164 | 125,840 | 66.5 | 118,793 | 62.8 | 7,047 | 5.6 | 63,324 |
| 1991 | 190,925 | 126,346 | 66.2 | 117,718 | 61.7 | 8,628 | 6.8 | 64,578 |
| 1992 | 192,805 | 128,105 | 66.4 | 118,492 | 61.5 | 9,613 | 7.5 | 64,700 |
| 1993 | 194,838 | 129,200 | 66.3 | 120,259 | 61.7 | 8,940 | 6.9 | 65,638 |
| 1994 | 196,814 | 131,056 | 66.6 | 123,060 | 62.5 | 7,996 | 6.1 | 65,758 |
| 1995 | 198,584 | 132,304 | 66.6 | 124,900 | 62.9 | 7,404 | 5.6 | 66,280 |
| 1996 | 200,591 | 133,943 | 66.8 | 126,708 | 63.2 | 7,236 | 5.4 | 66,647 |
| 1997 | 203,133 | 136,297 | 67.1 | 129,558 | 63.8 | 6,739 | 4.9 | 66,837 |
| 1998 | 205,220 | 137,673 | 67.1 | 131,463 | 64.1 | 6,210 | 4.5 | 67,547 |
| 1999 | 207,753 | 139,368 | 67.1 | 133,488 | 64.3 | 5,880 | 4.2 | 68,385 |
| 2000 | 212,577 | 142,583 | 67.1 | 136,891 | 64.4 | 5,692 | 4.0 | 69,994 |
| 2001 | 215,092 | 143,734 | 66.8 | 136,933 | 63.7 | 6,801 | 4.7 | 71,359 |
| 2002 | 217,570 | 144,863 | 66.6 | 136,485 | 62.7 | 8,378 | 5.8 | 72,707 |
| 2003 | 221,168 | 146,510 | 66.2 | 137,736 | 62.3 | 8,774 | 6.0 | 74,658 |
| 2004 | 223,357 | 147,401 | 66.0 | 139,252 | 62.3 | 8,149 | 5.5 | 75,956 |
| 2005 | 226,082 | 149,320 | 66.0 | 141,730 | 62.7 | 7,591 | 5.1 | 76,762 |
| 2006 | 228,815 | 151,428 | 66.2 | 144,427 | 63.1 | 7,001 | 4.6 | 77,387 |
| 2007 | 231,867 | 153,124 | 66.0 | 146,047 | 63.0 | 7,078 | 4.6 | 78,743 |
| 2008 | 233,788 | 154,287 | 66.0 | 145,362 | 62.2 | 8,924 | 5.8 | 79,501 |
| 2009 | 235,801 | 154,142 | 65.4 | 139,877 | 59.3 | 14,265 | 9.3 | 81,659 |
| 2010 | 237,830 | 153,889 | 64.7 | 139,064 | 58.5 | 14,825 | 9.6 | 83,941 |
| 2011 | 239,618 | 153,617 | 64.1 | 139,869 | 58.4 | 13,747 | 8.9 | 86,001 |
| 2012 | 243,284 | 154,975 | 63.7 | 142,469 | 58.6 | 12,506 | 8.1 | 88,310 |
| 2013 | 245,679 | 155,389 | 63.2 | 143,929 | 58.6 | 11,460 | 7.4 | 90,290 |
| 2014 | 247,947 | 155,922 | 62.9 | 146,305 | 59.0 | 9,617 | 6.2 | 92,025 |
| 2015 | 250,801 | 157,130 | 62.7 | 148,834 | 59.3 | 8,296 | 5.3 | 93,671 |
| 2016 | 253,538 | 159,187 | 62.8 | 151,436 | 59.7 | 7,751 | 4.9 | 94,351 |
| 2017 | 255,079 | 160,320 | 62.9 | 153,337 | 60.1 | 6,982 | 4.4 | 94,759 |
| 2018 | 257,791 | 162,075 | 62.9 | 155,761 | 60.4 | 6,314 | 3.9 | 95,716 |
| 2019 | 259,175 | 163,539 | 63.1 | 157,538 | 60.8 | 6,001 | 3.7 | 95,636 |
| 2020 | 260,329 | 160,742 | 61.7 | 147,795 | 56.8 | 12,947 | 8.1 | 99,587 |
| 2021 | 261,445 | 161,204 | 61.7 | 152,581 | 58.4 | 8,623 | 5.3 | 100,241 |
| 2022 | 263,973 | 164,287 | 62.2 | 158,291 | 60.0 | 5,996 | 3.6 | 99,686 |
| 2022 | ||||||||
| May | 263,679 | 164,278 | 62.3 | 158,299 | 60.0 | 5,979 | 3.6 | 99,400 |
| June | 263,835 | 164,002 | 62.2 | 158,057 | 59.9 | 5,945 | 3.6 | 99,833 |
| July | 264,012 | 163,990 | 62.1 | 158,272 | 59.9 | 5,718 | 3.5 | 100,021 |
| August | 264,184 | 164,714 | 62.3 | 158,694 | 60.1 | 6,021 | 3.7 | 99,469 |
| september | 264,356 | 164,619 | 62.3 | 158,850 | 60.1 | 5,770 | 3.5 | 99,736 |
| October | 264,535 | 164,646 | 62.2 | 158,593 | 60.0 | 6,053 | 3.7 | 99,890 |
| November | 264,708 | 164,527 | 62.2 | 158,527 | 59.9 | 6,000 | 3.6 | 100,181 |
| December | 264,844 | 164,966 | 62.3 | 159,244 | 60.1 | 5,722 | 3.5 | 99,878 |
| 2023 | ||||||||
| Jan | 265,962 | 165,832 | 62.4 | 160,138 | 60.2 | 5,694 | 3.4 | 100,130 |
| Feb | 266,112 | 166,251 | 62.5 | 160,315 | 60.2 | 5,936 | 3.6 | 99,861 |
| March | 266,272 | 166,731 | 62.6 | 160,892 | 60.4 | 5,839 | 3.5 | 99,541 |
| April | 266,443 | 166,688 | 62.6 | 161,031 | 60.4 | 5,657 | 3.4 | 99,755 |
| May | 266,618 | 166,818 | 62.6 | 160,721 | 60.3 | 6,097 | 3.7 | 99,800 |
Sources:
United States Department of Labor.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.