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Today's Labor Force

Families

In 2004, 82.3% of the nation's 75.9 million families had at least one employed person, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Employment Characteristics of Families in 2004 (June 9, 2005). Asian families were the most likely to include an employed member (89.3%), followed by Hispanic (86.7%), white (82.5%), and African-American families (78.1%). (See Table 1.6; these data include families that may have members who are beyond the generally accepted working age.)

Employment Characteristics of Families in 2004 also revealed that about 5.6 million American families (7.4% of all families) had at least one person who was unemployed in 2004. Overall, 70% of families that included an unemployed person also contained at least one employed family member. White and Asian families were considerably less likely to have an unemployed person (6.6% and 6.7%, respectively) than were African-American (12.7%) or Hispanic (10.2%) families. (See Table 1.6.)

The BLS further reported that both spouses were employed in about half of the nation's 57.2 million married-couple families in 2004. That same year, there were about 11.7 million married-couple families (20.5%) in which only the husband was employed outside the house, a slight increase from 11.4 million in 2003. In nearly 3.9 million married-couple families (6.7%) only the wife worked in 2004. More than 9.4 million married-couple families (16.5%) included no working members, though many in this group were retirees. (See Table 1.7.)

In 2004 the likelihood of having an employed family member was greatest for families maintained by men (84.6%), with married-couple families almost as likely (83.3%). Families maintained by women were least likely to have an employed family member (75.7%). (See Table 1.7.) Families headed by men were less likely to include an unemployed member (551,000) than families maintained by women (1.52 million). (See Table 1.8.)

About eight of ten married-couple families (82.5%) with an unemployed member also contained at least TABLE 1.2 Employment status by selected characteristics, 2004–05 "5. Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population by Sex, Age, and Race," in Employment and Earnings, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat5.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)one employed family member in 2004. In contrast, among families experiencing unemployment in 2004, 57.5% of families that were headed by a single man also included an employed person. Among households with an unemployed member headed by single women, only 45.5% also included an employed person. (See Table 1.8.)

TABLE 1.2
Employment status by selected characteristics, 2004–05
[Numbers in thousands]
Employment status, sex, and age Total White Black or African American Asian
2004 2005 2004 2005 2004 2005
Note: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
*Data not shown where base is less than 35,000.
SOURCE: "5. Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population by Sex, Age, and Race," in Employment and Earnings, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat5.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)
Total
Civilian noninstitutional population 223,357 226,082 182,643 184,446 26,065 26,517 9,519 9,842
     Civilian labor force 147,401 149,320 121,086 122,299 16,638 17,013 6,271 6,503
            Percent of population 66.0 66.0 66.3 66.3 63.8 64.2 65.9 66.1
        Employed 139,252 141,730 115,239 116,949 14,909 15,313 5,994 6,244
        Unemployed 8,149 7,591 5,847 5,350 1,729 1,700 277 259
            Unemployment rate 5.5 5.1 4.8 4.4 10.4 10.0 4.4 4.0
     Not in labor force 75,956 76,762 61,558 62,148 9,428 9,504 3,248 3,339
Men, 16 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population 107,710 109,151 89,044 90,027 11,656 11,882 4,529 4,679
     Civilian labor force 78,980 80,033 65,994 66,694 7,773 7,998 3,396 3,500
            Percent of population 73.3 73.3 74.1 74.1 66.7 67.3 75.0 74.8
        Employed 74,524 75,973 62,712 63,763 6,912 7,155 3,243 3,359
        Unemployed 4,456 4,059 3,282 2,931 860 844 153 141
            Unemployment rate 5.6 5.1 5.0 4.4 11.1 10.5 4.5 4.0
     Not in labor force 28,730 29,119 23,050 23,334 3,884 3,884 1,133 1,178
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population 99,476 100,835 82,615 83,556 10,461 10,659 4,216 4,361
     Civilian labor force 75,364 76,443 62,944 63,705 7,414 7,600 3,305 3,419
            Percent of population 75.8 75.8 76.2 76.2 70.9 71.3 78.4 78.4
        Employed 71,572 73,050 60,159 61,255 6,681 6,901 3,165 3,292
        Unemployed 3,791 3,392 2,785 2,450 733 699 140 127
            Unemployment rate 5.0 4.4 4.4 3.8 9.9 9.2 4.2 3.7
     Not in labor force 24,113 24,392 19,671 19,851 3,047 3,060 911 942
Women, 16 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population 115,647 116,931 93,599 94,419 14,409 14,635 4,990 5,163
     Civilian labor force 68,421 69,288 55,092 55,605 8,865 9,014 2,876 3,002
            Percent of population 59.2 59.3 58.9 58.9 61.5 61.6 57.6 58.2
        Employed 64,728 65,757 52,527 53,186 7,997 8,158 2,751 2,885
        Unemployed 3,694 3,531 2,565 2,419 868 856 124 118
            Unemployment rate 5.4 5.1 4.7 4.4 9.8 9.5 4.3 3.9
     Not in labor force 47,225 47,643 38,508 38,814 5,544 5,621 2,114 2,161
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population 107,658 108,850 87,430 88,200 13,182 13,377 4,697 4,864
     Civilian labor force 64,923 65,714 52,212 52,643 8,462 8,610 2,795 2,923
            Percent of population 60.3 60.4 59.7 59.7 64.2 64.4 59.5 60.1
        Employed 61,773 62,702 50,040 50,589 7,707 7,876 2,678 2,812
        Unemployed 3,150 3,013 2,172 2,054 755 734 117 111
            Unemployment rate 4.9 4.6 4.2 3.9 8.9 8.5 4.2 3.8
     Not in labor force 42,735 43,136 35,218 35,557 4,720 4,768 1,903 1,941
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian noninstitutional population 16,222 16,398 12,599 12,690 2,423 2,481 606 616
     Civilian labor force 7,114 7,164 5,929 5,950 762 803 172 160
            Percent of population 43.9 43.7 47.1 46.9 31.4 32.4 28.4 26.0
        Employed 5,907 5,978 5,039 5,105 520 536 152 140
        Unemployed 1,208 1,186 890 845 241 267 20 20
            Unemployment rate 17.0 16.6 15.0 14.2 31.7 33.3 11.5 12.4
     Not in labor force 9,108 9,234 6,669 6,739 1,661 1,677 434 456

Families with Children

According to the BLS in Employment Characteristics of Families in 2004, both parents were employed in 60.6% of married-couple families with children under eighteen years old in 2004. In 31.2% of two-parent families, the father, but not the mother, was employed.

TABLE 1.3 Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005

TABLE 1.3
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005
[Numbers in thousands]
Age, sex, and race 2005
Civilian noninstitutional population Civilian labor force Not in labor force
Total Percent of population Employed Unemployed
Total Percent of population Number Percent of labor force
Total
16 years and over 226,082 149,320 66.0 141,730 62.7 7,591 5.1 76,762
    16 to 19 years 16,398 7,164 43.7 5,978 36.5 1,186 16.6 9,234
        16 to 17 years 8,778 2,825 32.2 2,284 26.0 541 19.1 5,953
        18 to 19 years 7,619 4,339 56.9 3,694 48.5 645 14.9 3,281
    20 to 24 years 20,276 15,127 74.6 13,792 68.0 1,335 8.8 5,149
    25 to 54 years 124,175 102,773 82.8 98,517 79.3 4,256 4.1 21,403
        25 to 34 years 39,064 32,341 82.8 30,680 78.5 1,661 5.1 6,723
            25 to 29 years 19,484 16,049 82.4 15,116 77.6 933 5.8 3,435
            30 to 34 years 19,580 16,291 83.2 15,564 79.5 728 4.5 3,288
        35 to 44 years 43,005 36,030 83.8 34,630 80.5 1,400 3.9 6,975
            35 to 39 years 20,511 17,125 83.5 16,430 80.1 695 4.1 3,387
            40 to 44 years 22,494 18,905 84.0 18,200 80.9 705 3.7 3,589
        45 to 54 years 42,107 34,402 81.7 33,207 78.9 1,195 3.5 7,704
            45 to 49 years 22,257 18,561 83.4 17,886 80.4 675 3.6 3,695
            50 to 54 years 19,850 15,841 79.8 15,321 77.2 520 3.3 4,009
    55 to 64 years 30,165 18,979 62.9 18,349 60.8 630 3.3 11,185
        55 to 59 years 17,206 12,289 71.4 11,873 69.0 416 3.4 4,918
        60 to 64 years 12,958 6,691 51.6 6,476 50.0 214 3.2 6,268
    65 years and over 35,068 5,278 15.1 5,094 14.5 184 3.5 29,791
        65 to 69 years 10,048 2,846 28.3 2,748 27.3 98 3.4 7,202
        70 to 74 years 8,358 1,366 16.3 1,316 15.7 50 3.7 6,992
        75 years and over 16,663 1,066 6.4 1,031 6.2 36 3.3 15,597
Men
16 years and over 109,151 80,033 73.3 75,973 69.6 4,059 5.1 29,119
    16 to 19 years 8,317 3,590 43.2 2,923 35.1 667 18.6 4,727
        16 to 17 years 4,481 1,368 30.5 1,067 23.8 300 22.0 3,113
        18 to 19 years 3,836 2,222 57.9 1,855 48.4 367 16.5 1,614
    20 to 24 years 10,181 8,054 79.1 7,279 71.5 775 9.6 2,127
    25 to 54 years 61,208 55,385 90.5 53,201 86.9 2,184 3.9 5,823
        25 to 34 years 19,446 17,837 91.7 16,993 87.4 844 4.7 1,608
            25 to 29 years 9,744 8,843 90.8 8,363 85.8 480 5.4 901
            30 to 34 years 9,701 8,994 92.7 8,630 89.0 364 4.0 707
        35 to 44 years 21,177 19,495 92.1 18,780 88.7 715 3.7 1,682
            35 to 39 years 10,124 9,374 92.6 9,010 89.0 364 3.9 750
            40 to 44 years 11,053 10,121 91.6 9,770 88.4 351 3.5 933
        45 to 54 years 20,585 18,053 87.7 17,429 84.7 624 3.5 2,532
            45 to 49 years 10,912 9,747 89.3 9,399 86.1 347 3.6 1,165
            50 to 54 years 9,673 8,306 85.9 8,029 83.0 277 3.3 1,367
    55 to 64 years 14,502 10,045 69.3 9,714 67.0 331 3.3 4,457
        55 to 59 years 8,321 6,458 77.6 6,239 75.0 219 3.4 1,863
        60 to 64 years 6,181 3,587 58.0 3,475 56.2 112 3.1 2,594
    65 years and over 14,944 2,959 19.8 2,857 19.1 102 3.4 11,985
        65 to 69 years 4,678 1,571 33.6 1,519 32.5 52 3.3 3,107
        70 to 74 years 3,745 775 20.7 748 20.0 27 3.5 2,970
        75 years and over 6,521 612 9.4 589 9.0 23 3.8 5,908
Women
16 years and over 116,931 69,288 59.3 65,757 56.2 3,531 5.1 47,643
    16 to 19 years 8,081 3,574 44.2 3,055 37.8 519 14.5 4,507
        16 to 17 years 4,297 1,457 33.9 1,217 28.3 240 16.5 2,840
        18 to 19 years 3,784 2,117 55.9 1,838 48.6 278 13.1 1,667
    20 to 24 years 10,095 7,073 70.1 6,513 64.5 560 7.9 3,022
    25 to 54 years 62,967 47,387 75.3 45,315 72.0 2,072 4.4 15,580
        25 to 34 years 19,618 14,503 73.9 13,687 69.8 817 5.6 5,115
            25 to 29 years 9,740 7,206 74.0 6,753 69.3 453 6.3 2,534
            30 to 34 years 9,878 7,297 73.9 6,933 70.2 364 5.0 2,581
        35 to 44 years 21,828 16,535 75.8 15,850 72.6 685 4.1 5,293
            35 to 39 years 10,387 7,750 74.6 7,420 71.4 330 4.3 2,637
            40 to 44 years 11,441 8,784 76.8 8,430 73.7 354 4.0 2,656
        45 to 54 years 21,521 16,349 76.0 15,779 73.3 571 3.5 5,172
            45 to 49 years 11,345 8,815 77.7 8,486 74.8 328 3.7 2,530
            50 to 54 years 10,177 7,535 74.0 7,292 71.7 243 3.2 2,642

TABLE 1.3 Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)

TABLE 1.3
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)
[Numbers in thousands]
Age, sex, and race 2005
Civilian noninstitutional population Civilian labor force Not in labor force
Total Percent of population Employed Unemployed
Total Percent of population Number Percent of labor force
    55 to 64 years 15,663 8,934 57.0 8,635 55.1 299 3.3 6,728
        55 to 59 years 8,886 5,831 65.6 5,634 63.4 197 3.4 3,055
        60 to 64 years 6,777 3,104 45.8 3,001 44.3 102 3.3 3,673
    65 years and over 20,125 2,319 11.5 2,238 11.1 82 3.5 17,806
        65 to 69 years 5,370 1,275 23.7 1,228 22.9 46 3.6 4,095
        70 to 74 years 4,613 591 12.8 568 12.3 23 3.9 4,022
        75 years and over 10,142 454 4.5 441 4.4 12 2.8 9,688
White
16 years and over 184,446 122,299 66.3 116,949 63.4 5,350 4.4 62,148
    16 to 19 years 12,690 5,950 46.9 5,105 40.2 845 14.2 6,739
        16 to 17 years 6,768 2,390 35.3 1,999 29.5 391 16.4 4,378
        18 to 19 years 5,921 3,560 60.1 3,106 52.5 454 12.7 2,362
    20 to 24 years 15,871 12,109 76.3 11,231 70.8 878 7.2 3,763
    25 to 54 years 99,796 83,341 83.5 80,346 80.5 2,995 3.6 16,455
        25 to 34 years 30,592 25,548 83.5 24,443 79.9 1,106 4.3 5,044
            25 to 29 years 15,255 12,724 83.4 12,116 79.4 609 4.8 2,531
            30 to 34 years 15,337 12,824 83.6 12,327 80.4 497 3.9 2,513
        35 to 44 years 34,554 29,107 84.2 28,102 81.3 1,006 3.5 5,447
            35 to 39 years 16,349 13,707 83.8 13,211 80.8 495 3.6 2,643
            40 to 44 years 18,205 15,401 84.6 14,890 81.8 511 3.3 2,804
        45 to 54 years 34,649 28,685 82.8 27,801 80.2 884 3.1 5,964
            45 to 49 years 18,214 15,375 84.4 14,878 81.7 497 3.2 2,840
            50 to 54 years 16,435 13,311 81.0 12,924 78.6 387 2.9 3,124
    55 to 64 years 25,534 16,275 63.7 15,788 61.8 488 3.0 9,258
        55 to 59 years 14,518 10,505 72.4 10,192 70.2 314 3.0 4,012
        60 to 64 years 11,016 5,770 52.4 5,596 50.8 174 3.0 5,246
    65 years and over 30,556 4,624 15.1 4,480 14.7 144 3.1 25,932
        65 to 69 years 8,526 2,469 29.0 2,397 28.1 72 2.9 6,057
        70 to 74 years 7,214 1,191 16.5 1,150 15.9 41 3.4 6,024
        75 years and over 14,816 964 6.5 933 6.3 31 3.2 13,852
Men
16 years and over 90,027 66,694 74.1 63,763 70.8 2,931 4.4 23,334
    16 to 19 years 6,471 2,988 46.2 2,508 38.8 480 16.1 3,482
        16 to 17 years 3,464 1,162 33.5 942 27.2 220 18.9 2,302
        18 to 19 years 3,006 1,826 60.7 1,566 52.1 260 14.3 1,180
    20 to 24 years 8,057 6,562 81.4 6,041 75.0 522 7.9 1,495
    25 to 54 years 49,962 45,778 91.6 44,194 88.5 1,585 3.5 4,183
        25 to 34 years 15,507 14,426 93.0 13,840 89.2 586 4.1 1,081
            25 to 29 years 7,765 7,165 92.3 6,844 88.1 322 4.5 600
            30 to 34 years 7,742 7,260 93.8 6,996 90.4 264 3.6 482
        35 to 44 years 17,286 16,080 93.0 15,544 89.9 536 3.3 1,206
            35 to 39 years 8,209 7,664 93.4 7,393 90.1 270 3.5 545
            40 to 44 years 9,077 8,416 92.7 8,150 89.8 266 3.2 661
        45 to 54 years 17,169 15,273 89.0 14,810 86.3 463 3.0 1,896
            45 to 49 years 9,054 8,198 90.6 7,944 87.7 254 3.1 855
            50 to 54 years 8,116 7,075 87.2 6,866 84.6 209 2.9 1,041
    55 to 64 years 12,415 8,734 70.4 8,471 68.2 263 3.0 3,681
        55 to 59 years 7,113 5,599 78.7 5,431 76.4 169 3.0 1,513
        60 to 64 years 5,302 3,134 59.1 3,040 57.3 94 3.0 2,167
    65 years and over 13,123 2,631 20.0 2,550 19.4 81 3.1 10,492
        65 to 69 years 4,005 1,383 34.5 1,345 33.6 38 2.8 2,622
        70 to 74 years 3,267 685 21.0 663 20.3 23 3.3 2,581
        75 years and over 5,852 562 9.6 543 9.3 20 3.5 5,289
Women
16 years and over 94,419 55,605 58.9 53,186 56.3 2,419 4.4 38,814
    16 to 19 years 6,219 2,962 47.6 2,597 41.8 365 12.3 3,257
        16 to 17 years 3,304 1,228 37.2 1,057 32.0 172 14.0 2,076
        18 to 19 years 2,915 1,733 59.5 1,540 52.8 193 11.1 1,181
    20 to 24 years 7,814 5,546 71.0 5,190 66.4 356 6.4 2,268
    25 to 54 years 49,834 37,563 75.4 36,152 72.5 1,411 3.8 12,271
        25 to 34 years 15,086 11,123 73.7 10,603 70.3 520 4.7 3,963
            25 to 29 years 7,490 5,559 74.2 5,272 70.4 287 5.2 1,931
            30 to 34 years 7,595 5,564 73.3 5,331 70.2 233 4.2 2,032

TABLE 1.3 Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)

TABLE 1.3
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)
[Numbers in thousands]
Age, sex, and race 2005
Civilian noninstitutional population Civilian labor force Not in labor force
Total Percent of population Employed Unemployed
Total Percent of population Number Percent of labor force
        35 to 44 years 17,268 13,027 75.4 12,558 72.7 469 3.6 4,241
            35 to 39 years 8,141 6,043 74.2 5,818 71.5 225 3.7 2,098
            40 to 44 years 9,128 6,985 76.5 6,740 73.8 245 3.5 2,143
        45 to 54 years 17,480 13,413 76.7 12,991 74.3 421 3.1 4,067
            45 to 49 years 9,161 7,177 78.3 6,933 75.7 243 3.4 1,984
            50 to 54 years 8,319 6,236 75.0 6,058 72.8 178 2.9 2,083
    55 to 64 years 13,119 7,542 57.5 7,317 55.8 225 3.0 5,578
        55 to 59 years 7,405 4,906 66.3 4,761 64.3 145 3.0 2,499
        60 to 64 years 5,714 2,636 46.1 2,556 44.7 79 3.0 3,079
    65 years and over 17,433 1,993 11.4 1,930 11.1 63 3.2 15,440
        65 to 69 years 4,522 1,086 24.0 1,052 23.3 34 3.1 3,436
        70 to 74 years 3,948 505 12.8 487 12.3 18 3.6 3,442
        75 years and over 8,964 402 4.5 391 4.4 11 2.7 8,562
Black or African American
16 years and over 26,517 17,013 64.2 15,313 57.7 1,700 10.0 9,504
    16 to 19 years 2,481 803 32.4 536 21.6 267 33.3 1,677
        16 to 17 years 1,341 279 20.8 164 12.2 115 41.2 1,062
        18 to 19 years 1,140 525 46.0 372 32.7 152 29.0 615
    20 to 24 years 2,835 1,957 69.0 1,599 56.4 358 18.3 878
    25 to 54 years 15,254 12,202 80.0 11,247 73.7 955 7.8 3,052
        25 to 34 years 5,075 4,145 81.7 3,722 73.3 423 10.2 930
            25 to 29 years 2,589 2,075 80.1 1,829 70.7 245 11.8 515
            30 to 34 years 2,486 2,071 83.3 1,893 76.2 178 8.6 415
        35 to 44 years 5,311 4,370 82.3 4,060 76.5 310 7.1 940
            35 to 39 years 2,550 2,114 82.9 1,958 76.8 156 7.4 436
            40 to 44 years 2,761 2,257 81.7 2,102 76.1 154 6.8 504
        45 to 54 years 4,869 3,686 75.7 3,464 71.1 222 6.0 1,182
            45 to 49 years 2,648 2,074 78.3 1,949 73.6 125 6.0 574
            50 to 54 years 2,221 1,612 72.6 1,515 68.2 98 6.1 609
    55 to 64 years 2,980 1,647 55.3 1,555 52.2 92 5.6 1,333
        55 to 59 years 1,702 1,081 63.5 1,015 59.6 66 6.1 621
        60 to 64 years 1,278 566 44.3 539 42.2 26 4.7 712
    65 years and over 2,967 403 13.6 375 12.7 28 6.9 2,564
            65 to 69 years 978 222 22.7 205 21.0 17 7.4 756
            70 to 74 years 759 117 15.4 109 14.4 7 6.2 642
            75 years and over 1,230 65 5.2 61 4.9 4 6.1 1,165
Men
16 years and over 11,882 7,998 67.3 7,155 60.2 844 10.5 3,884
    16 to 19 years 1,223 399 32.6 254 20.8 145 36.3 824
        16 to 17 years 682 139 20.4 76 11.2 63 45.1 543
        18 to 19 years 541 260 48.0 178 32.9 82 31.5 281
    20 to 24 years 1,341 940 70.1 748 55.8 192 20.5 401
    25 to 54 years 6,851 5,708 83.3 5,260 76.8 448 7.8 1,143
        25 to 34 years 2,277 1,948 85.5 1,759 77.2 189 9.7 329
            25 to 29 years 1,175 987 84.0 871 74.2 116 11.7 188
            30 to 34 years 1,102 961 87.1 887 80.5 73 7.6 142
        35 to 44 years 2,372 2,028 85.5 1,886 79.5 143 7.0 344
            35 to 39 years 1,132 993 87.6 918 81.0 75 7.5 140
            40 to 44 years 1,239 1,036 83.6 968 78.1 68 6.5 204
        45 to 54 years 2,202 1,732 78.6 1,616 73.4 116 6.7 470
            45 to 49 years 1,201 970 80.8 904 75.3 65 6.7 231
            50 to 54 years 1,001 762 76.1 712 71.1 51 6.7 239
    55 to 64 years 1,319 756 57.3 711 53.9 45 5.9 564
        55 to 59 years 754 496 65.7 464 61.5 32 6.5 258
        60 to 64 years 565 260 46.0 247 43.7 13 5.0 305
    65 years and over 1,148 196 17.1 182 15.9 14 7.1 952
        65 to 69 years 415 100 24.1 92 22.1 8 8.5 315
        70 to 74 years 307 62 20.2 59 19.2 3 4.7 245
        75 years and over 426 34 7.9 31 7.3 3 * 392

TABLE 1.3 Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)

TABLE 1.3
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)
[Numbers in thousands]
Age, sex, and race 2005
Civilian noninstitutional population Civilian labor force Not in labor force
Total Percent of population Employed Unemployed
Total Percent of population Number Percent of labor force
Women
16 years and over 14,635 9,014 61.6 8,158 55.7 856 9.5 5,621
    16 to 19 years 1,258 405 32.2 282 22.4 123 30.3 853
         16 to 17 years 659 140 21.2 88 13.3 52 37.3 519
         18 to 19 years 598 265 44.3 194 32.5 70 26.6 334
    20 to 24 years 1,494 1,017 68.1 852 57.0 166 16.3 477
    25 to 54 years 8,403 6,494 77.3 5,986 71.2 507 7.8 1,909
         25 to 34 years 2,797 2,197 78.5 1,964 70.2 233 10.6 600
            25 to 29 years 1,414 1,087 76.9 958 67.7 129 11.9 327
            30 to 34 years 1,383 1,110 80.2 1,006 72.7 104 9.4 273
         35 to 44 years 2,939 2,342 79.7 2,175 74.0 168 7.2 597
            35 to 39 years 1,417 1,121 79.1 1,040 73.4 81 7.2 296
            40 to 44 years 1,522 1,221 80.2 1,135 74.5 87 7.1 301
         45 to 54 years 2,666 1,954 73.3 1,848 69.3 106 5.4 712
            45 to 49 years 1,447 1,104 76.3 1,045 72.2 59 5.4 343
            50 to 54 years 1,220 850 69.7 803 65.9 47 5.5 369
    55 to 64 years 1,661 891 53.7 844 50.8 47 5.3 769
         55 to 59 years 948 585 61.7 552 58.2 34 5.7 363
         60 to 64 years 712 306 42.9 292 41.0 14 4.4 406
    65 years and over 1,819 207 11.4 193 10.6 14 6.6 1,612
         65 to 69 years 563 122 21.6 114 20.2 8 6.6 441
         70 to 74 years 452 55 12.1 50 11.1 4 7.9 398
         75 years and over 804 * 3.8 29 3.6 1 * 773
Asian
16 years and over 9,842 6,503 66.1 6,244 63.4 259 4.0 3,339
    16 to 19 years 616 160 26.0 140 22.8 20 12.4 456
         16 to 17 years 329 59 17.8 49 14.9 10 16.7 270
         18 to 19 years 287 101 35.4 91 31.9 10 9.9 186
    20 to 24 years 867 538 62.1 503 58.1 35 6.5 329
    25 to 54 years 6,142 4,878 79.4 1,717 76.8 161 3.3 1,264
         25 to 34 years 2,284 1,762 77.1 1,694 74.2 68 3.9 522
            25 to 29 years 1,078 800 74.2 759 70.4 41 5.2 278
            30 to 34 years 1,206 962 79.8 935 77.5 27 2.8 244
         35 to 44 years 2,121 1,727 81.4 1,684 79.4 42 2.5 395
            35 to 39 years 1,099 888 80.7 867 78.9 20 2.3 212
            40 to 44 years 1,022 839 82.1 817 79.9 22 2.6 183
         45 to 54 years 1,737 1,389 80.0 1,338 77.1 51 3.7 347
            45 to 49 years 923 756 81.9 729 79.0 27 3.6 167
            50 to 54 years 813 633 77.9 609 74.9 24 3.8 180
    55 to 64 years 1,123 757 67.4 719 64.0 37 4.9 366
         55 to 59 years 675 503 74.4 476 70.4 27 5.4 173
         60 to 64 years 448 254 56.7 244 54.4 10 4.1 194
    65 years and over 1,093 170 15.5 165 15.1 5 3.1 923
         65 to 69 years 375 109 29.0 104 27.8 4 4.0 266
         70 to 74 years 259 34 13.3 34 13.0 1 * 225
         75 years and over 460 27 5.8 27 5.8 — * 433
Men
16 years and over 4,679 3,500 74.8 3,359 71.8 141 4.0 1,178
    16 to 19 years 317 81 25.6 67 21.3 14 16.8 236
         16 to 17 years 168 27 16.2 21 12.3 7 13.1 141
         18 to 19 years 150 54 36.1 47 31.4 7 * 96
    20 to 24 years 428 279 65.0 254 59.2 25 9.0 150
    25 to 54 years 2,940 2,645 90.0 2,563 87.2 82 3.1 295
         25 to 34 years 1,112 981 88.2 947 85.1 34 3.5 131
            25 to 29 years 518 438 84.6 416 80.2 23 5.2 80
            30 to 34 years 594 543 91.3 531 89.3 12 2.2 52
         35 to 44 years 1,024 946 92.4 926 90.4 20 2.1 78
            35 to 39 years 529 489 92.3 479 90.5 10 2.0 41
            40 to 44 years 495 457 92.4 447 90.3 10 2.2 38
         45 to 54 years 804 718 89.3 690 85.9 28 3.8 86
            45 to 49 years 433 397 91.7 382 88.1 15 3.9 36
            50 to 54 years 371 321 86.5 309 83.2 12 3.8 50

TABLE 1.3 Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED) "3. Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population by Age, Sex, and Race," in Employment and Earnings, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat3.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)

TABLE 1.3
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race, 2005 (CONTINUED)
[Numbers in thousands]
Age, sex, and race 2005
Civilian noninstitutional population Civilian labor force Not in labor force
Total Percent of population Employed Unemployed
Total Percent of population Number Percent of labor force
*Data not shown where base is less than 35,000.
Note: Estimates for the above race groups (white, block or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: "3. Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population by Age, Sex, and Race," in Employment and Earnings, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2006, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat3.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)
    55 to 64 years 519 402 77.5 385 74.2 17 4.3 117
        55 to 59 years 313 265 84.5 250 79.9 15 5.5 48
        60 to 64 years 206 138 66.9 135 65.5 3 2.0 68
    65 years and over 474 94 19.8 91 19.2 3 3.1 380
        65 to 69 years 174 64 36.7 61 35.3 2 3.9 110
        70 to 74 years 119 19 16.1 19 15.7 — * 100
        75 years and over 181 11 5.9 11 5.9 — * 170
Women
16 years and over 5,163 3,002 58.2 2,885 55.9 118 3.9 2,16
    16 to 19 years 299 79 26.5 73 24.4 6 7.9 220
        16 to 17 years 161 32 19.6 28 17.6 3 * 130
        18 to 19 years 137 47 34.5 45 32.4 3 6.2 90
    20 to 24 years 439 260 59.2 250 57.0 10 3.8 179
    25 to 54 years 3,202 2,233 69.7 2,154 67.3 79 3.6 969
        25 to 34 years 1,172 781 66.6 747 63.8 34 4.3 391
            25 to 29 years 560 362 64.6 343 61.3 19 5.1 198
            30 to 34 years 612 419 68.5 404 66.1 15 3.6 193
        35 to 44 years 1,097 781 71.2 758 69.1 22 2.9 316
            35 to 39 years 570 399 70.0 389 68.2 10 2.6 171
            40 to 44 years 527 382 72.4 370 70.2 12 3.2 145
        45 to 54 years 933 671 72.0 648 69.5 23 3.5 261
            45 to 49 years 490 359 73.2 347 70.9 12 3.2 131
            50 to 54 years 443 313 70.6 301 67.9 12 3.8 130
    55 to 64 years 604 354 58.6 335 55.3 20 5.6 250
        55 to 59 years 362 238 65.7 226 62.3 12 5.2 124
        60 to 64 years 242 116 48.1 109 45.0 8 6.5 126
    65 years and over 619 76 12.3 74 11.9 2 3.1 543
        65 to 69 years 200 45 22.3 43 21.3 2 4.3 156
        70 to 74 years 140 15 11.0 15 10.7 — * 125
        75 years and over 278 16 5.8 16 5.7 — * 262

The proportion (40.2%) in which the father, but not the mother, was employed was much higher among families with preschool children (under six years of age) than it was in families whose youngest child was six to seventeen years old (23.8%). (See Table 1.9.)

In 2004 more than nine of ten fathers (94.1%) and seven of ten mothers (70.4%) were labor-force participants. Among the mothers, the participation rate for those who were unmarried (77.1%; single, widowed, divorced, or separated) was higher than the rate for married mothers (67.8%). (See Table 1.10.)

In 2004 the unemployment rate of married mothers with children under eighteen years old was 3.7%, compared with 9.7% rate for unmarried mothers, according to the BLS in Employment Characteristics of Families in 2004. The unemployment rate for mothers with preschool children (7.1%) was higher than the rate for mothers whose youngest child was of school age (4.5%). (See Table 1.10.)

In 2004 more than half (52.9%) of all mothers with a child under one year old were in the labor force. This proportion rose among mothers with children two years of age (62.1%). Most mothers of children under three years old worked in 2004, but unmarried, divorced, separated, and widowed mothers with young children were more likely to be in the labor force (64.5%) than were married mothers with children the same age (55.3%). In 2004, 56.6% of single mothers with children under one year old were in the workforce, compared with 51.7% of married mothers with children the same age. Unmarried mothers of children under three years old also experienced higher rates of unemployment than their married counterparts. The unemployment rate for single mothers of children under three years old in 2004 was 16.6%, compared with 4.4% among mothers who were married TABLE 1.4 Labor force status of high school and college students, 2004 "Table 2. Labor Force Status of Persons 16 to 24 Years Old by School Enrollment, Educational Attainment, Sex, Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, October 2004," in College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2004 High School Graduates, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/hsgec.pdf (accessed March 21, 2006)and had children under age three. For those with children under one year old in 2004, the unemployment rate among single mothers was 19.7%, compared with 4.7% for married mothers with children the same age. (See Table 1.11.)

TABLE 1.4
Labor force status of high school and college students, 2004
[Numbers in thousands]
Characteristic Civilian noninstitutional population Civilian labor force Not in labor force
Total Percent of population Employed Unemployed
Total Percent of population Number Rate
aIncludes a small number of persons enrolled in grades below high school.
bData not shown where base is less than 75,000
cIncludes high school diploma or equivalent.
Note: Detail for the above race groups (white, block or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race. Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals.
SOURCE: "Table 2. Labor Force Status of Persons 16 to 24 Years Old by School Enrollment, Educational Attainment, Sex, Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, October 2004," in College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2004 High School Graduates, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/hsgec.pdf (accessed March 21, 2006)
    Total, 16 to 24 years 36,504 22,484 61.6 19,847 54.4 2,637 11.7 14,020
Enrolled in school 20,173 9,293 46.1 8,283 41.1 1,010 10.9 10,880
Enrolled in high schoola 9,372 2,982 31.8 2,490 26.6 493 16.5 6,389
    Men 4,913 1,545 31.5 1,258 25.6 287 18.6 3,367
    Women 4,459 1,437 32.2 1,231 27.6 205 14.3 3,022
    White 7,138 2,503 35.1 2,146 30.1 357 14.3 4,635
    Black or African American 1,522 319 20.9 213 14.0 106 33.3 1,204
    Asian 358 52 14.4 43 11.9 9 306
    Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 1,515 390 25.7 295 19.4 95 24.4 1,125
Enrolled in college 10,801 6,311 58.4 5,794 53.6 517 8.2 4,490
    Enrolled in 2-year college 2,684 1,867 69.5 1,673 62.3 193 10.4 818
    Enrolled in 4-year college 8,117 4,444 54.8 4,120 50.8 324 7.3 3,672
    Full-time students 9,256 4,967 53.7 4,534 49.0 433 8.7 4,289
    Part-time students 1,545 1,344 87.0 1,260 81.5 84 6.3 201
    Men 4,934 2,751 55.8 2,503 50.7 248 9.0 2,183
    Women 5,867 3,560 60.7 3,291 56.1 269 7.6 2,307
    White 8,486 5,130 60.5 4,767 56.2 364 7.1 3,355
    Black or African American 1,276 678 53.1 574 45.0 104 15.3 598
    Asian 712 302 42.4 263 37.0 39 12.8 410
    Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 1,245 758 60.9 700 56.2 58 7.6 487
Not enrolled in school 16,331 13,191 80.8 11,564 70.8 1,627 12.3 3,140
    16 to 19 years 3,210 2,322 72.4 1,858 57.9 464 20.0 887
    20 to 24 years 13,121 10,868 82.8 9,705 74.0 1,163 10.7 2,253
Men 8,560 7,485 87.4 6,578 76.9 907 12.1 1,075
    Less than a high school diploma 2,140 1,668 77.9 1,334 62.3 334 20.0 472
    High school graduates, no collegec 3,978 3,540 89.0 3,110 78.2 429 12.1 483
    Some college or associate degree 1,658 1,532 92.4 1,425 86.0 106 6.9 126
    Bachelor's degree and higher 784 746 95.1 708 90.4 37 5.0 38
Women 7,771 5,706 73.4 4,986 64.2 720 12.6 2,066
    Less than a high school diploma 1,626 867 53.3 662 40.7 205 23.6 759
    High school graduates, no collegec 3,265 2,384 73.0 2,050 62.8 334 14.0 881
    Some college or associate degree 1,799 1,478 82.2 1,352 75.2 126 8.5 321
    Bachelor's degree and higher 1,081 976 90.3 921 85.2 55 5.6 105
White 12,842 10,486 81.7 9,441 73.5 1,045 10.0 2,356
    Black or African American 2,466 1,924 78.0 1,484 60.2 440 22.9 542
    Asian 425 333 78.4 296 69.7 37 11.1 92
    Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 3,541 2,737 77.3 2,429 68.6 308 11.2 804

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