Labor force in the United States
The labor force is the number of people age 16 and older who are working or looking for work. In January 2025, it reached a record 170.7 million civilians in the United States. In February 2020, at the start of the pandemic, there were 164.6 million. The labor force has generally risen since 1960, except for the period after the Great Recession when it stayed below 2008 levels for a few years.
The labor force participation rate (LFPR) shows what share of the population 16 and older is in the labor force. The U.S. LFPR grew a lot during the 20th century as more women joined the workforce. Since 2000, the LFPR has fallen partly because the population is aging and more people are retiring.
Experts often study the prime-working-age group (25–54) to understand how aging affects participation and to separate other factors like gender, race, education, and policy. Higher education is linked to higher participation for people 25–54. Men in this group leave the labor force mainly due to disability; women often leave to care for family.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines the labor force as everyone 16+ living in the U.S. (not in institutions and not on active duty) who are working or seeking work.
Historically, women's participation in the workforce grew in three waves:
- 19th century to the 1920s: few women worked, often young and single.
- 1930s to 1950s: more women worked in offices and later in higher-demand jobs as schools and electrification spread.
- 1950s to 1970s: many women worked in roles considered “pink-collar” jobs like secretaries and teachers.
From the 1960s onward, women’s labor force participation rose further, and the gap between men and women narrowed. Laws such as the Equal Pay Act (1963), the Civil Rights Act (1964), and Title IX (1972) helped reduce wage gaps and open more opportunities for women. By 2017, women made up about 47% of the total labor force, and around 70% of mothers with children under 18 were in the workforce.
Men’s participation has fallen since the 1950s. This decline has been linked to factors like changes in education, marriage age, and health issues, as well as the aging population. The Great Recession increased nonparticipation for many groups, but the aging population continues to put downward pressure on the overall LFPR.
COVID-19 caused a big drop in the labor force. From February 2020 to February 2021, about 4.2 million people left the labor force, including 2.4 million women. By mid-2021, roughly 4 million workers had voluntarily left their jobs. Turnover was highest in hospitality and healthcare, though many industries felt the impact.
Foreign-born workers are a sizable part of the labor force. In 2018, there were about 27.8 million foreign-born workers, with many from Mexico and Central America. California had the largest share of foreign-born workers. On average, foreign-born workers earned less than native-born workers, and participation and unemployment rates varied by country of origin and gender.
In 2017, the United States was ranked among the world’s largest labor forces, with about 160 million workers, behind China, India, and the European Union.
Overall, the number in the labor force and the participation rate reflect a mix of aging, education, immigration, and policies. The current trend shows a very large workforce, but shifts in demographics and family dynamics continue to shape who participates and how much they work.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:01 (CET).