For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, May 17, 2018 USDL-18-0786 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS: LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS — 2017 

The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 4.1 percent in 2017, down 

from 4.3 percent in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of nativeborn persons was 4.4 percent in 2017, down from 5.0 percent in 2016. 

Data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey 

of approximately 60,000 households. The foreign born are persons who reside in the United States but 

who were born outside the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens. 

The foreign born include legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students 

and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, however, do not separately 

identify the numbers of persons in these categories. For further information about the survey, see the 

Technical Note in this news release. 

Highlights from the 2017 data: 

 In 2017, there were 27.4 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 17.1 

percent of the total. (See table 1.) 

 Hispanics accounted for 47.9 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2017, and Asians 

accounted for 25.2 percent. (See table 1.) (Data in this news release for persons who are White, 

Black, or Asian do not include those of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Data on persons of Hispanic 

or Latino ethnicity are presented separately.) 

 Foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service 

occupations and less likely to be employed in management, professional, and related 

occupations. (See table 4.) 

 The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $730 

in 2017, compared with $885 for their native-born counterparts. (See table 5.) (Differences in 

earnings reflect a variety of factors, including variations in the distributions of foreign-born and 

native-born workers by educational attainment, occupation, industry, and geographic region.) 

Demographic Characteristics 

The demographic composition of the foreign-born labor force differs from that of the native-born labor 

force. In 2017, men accounted for 57.5 percent of the foreign-born labor force, compared with 52.2 

percent of the native-born labor force. By age, the proportion of the foreign-born labor force made up of 
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25- to 54-year-olds (73.1 percent) was higher than for the native-born labor force (62.2 percent). Labor 

force participation is typically highest among persons in that age bracket. (See table 1.) 

In 2017, nearly half (47.9 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and one-quarter (25.2 

percent) was Asian. Hispanics and Asians made up much lower percentages of the native-born labor 

force, at 10.7 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. About 16.5 percent of the foreign-born labor force 

was White and 9.4 percent was Black, compared with 72.3 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively, of the 

native-born labor force. 

In terms of educational attainment, the proportion of the foreign-born labor force age 25 and over that 

had not completed high school was 21.8 percent in 2017, much higher than the figure for the native-born 

labor force, at 4.2 percent. The foreign born were less likely than the native born to have some college or 

an associate degree—16.8 percent versus 29.4 percent. The proportions for foreign-born and native-born 

high school graduates (25.2 percent versus 25.9 percent) and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher 

(36.2 percent versus 40.5 percent) were more similar. 

Labor Force 

In 2017, the share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born increased to 17.1 percent from 

16.9 percent in 2016. (See table 1.) The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 

13.3 percent in 2000. 

In 2017, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was 66.0 percent, up from 65.2 percent in 

the prior year. The participation rate for the native born was 62.2 percent, little changed from 2016. 

Foreign-born men were considerably more likely to be labor force participants (78.1 percent) in 2017 

than their native-born counterparts (67.3 percent). In contrast, 54.5 percent of foreign-born women were 

labor force participants, somewhat lower than the rate of 57.5 percent for native-born women. 

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, labor force participation rates increased for foreign-born 

Blacks (71.5 percent) and Asians (64.3 percent) in 2017, while the rates for Whites (59.9 percent) and 

Hispanics (68.3 percent) were little different from the prior year. Among the native born, the 

participation rate for Blacks rose to 60.7 percent and the rate for Whites declined to 62.2 percent. The 

participation rates for Asians (62.0 percent) and Hispanics (64.2 percent) showed little change from 

2016 to 2017. 

In 2017, foreign-born mothers with children under 18 years old were less likely to be labor force 

participants than were native-born mothers—60.1 percent versus 74.4 percent. Labor force participation 

differences between foreign-born and native-born mothers were greater among those with younger 

children than among those with older children. The labor force participation rate of foreign-born 

mothers with children under age 6 was 49.8 percent in 2017, much lower than that for native-born 

mothers with children under age 6, at 69.4 percent. Among women with children under age 3, the 

participation rate for foreign-born mothers (44.4 percent) was 22.5 percentage points below that for 

native-born mothers (66.9 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign-born and native-born 

fathers with children under age 18 were more similar, at 93.1 percent and 92.7 percent, respectively. 

(See table 2.) 

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West (24.1 percent) and in 

the Northeast (19.6 percent) in 2017 than for the nation as a whole (17.1 percent). In contrast, the 
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foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force than for the nation as a whole in the South (16.2 

percent) and Midwest (8.8 percent). (See table 6.) 

Unemployment 

The unemployment rate of the foreign born declined from 4.3 percent to 4.1 percent from 2016 to 2017, 

and the jobless rate for the native born fell from 5.0 percent to 4.4 percent. The unemployment rate for 

foreign-born women declined from 5.1 percent to 4.8 percent, and the rate for foreign-born men was 

little changed at 3.6 percent. The over-the-year decrease in the unemployment rate of the native born 

reflected decreases in the rates for both men and women. The rate for men fell from 5.2 percent to 4.6 

percent, while the rate for women declined from 4.7 percent to 4.2 percent. (See table 1.) 

For both the foreign born and the native born, jobless rates vary considerably by race and ethnicity. 

Among the foreign born, Blacks had the highest unemployment rate (5.6 percent) in 2017. The 

unemployment rates were 4.3 percent for Hispanics, 4.0 percent for Whites, and 3.2 percent for Asians. 

Among the native born, Blacks also had the highest jobless rate (7.8 percent), followed by Hispanics 

(5.9 percent), Asians (3.8 percent), and Whites (3.5 percent). 

Occupation 

In 2017, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service 

occupations (23.9 percent versus 16.1 percent); in production, transportation, and material moving 

occupations (14.9 percent versus 11.0 percent); and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance 

occupations (13.9 percent versus 8.3 percent). (See table 4.) 

Native-born workers were more likely than foreign-born workers to be employed in management, 

professional, and related occupations (41.3 percent versus 32.3 percent) and in sales and office 

occupations (23.3 percent versus 15.0 percent). 

In 2017, employed foreign-born men and women were more likely than their native-born counterparts to 

work in service occupations; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and 

production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Among men, the employment disparity 

was especially great in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations—22.6 percent of 

foreign-born men versus 15.2 percent of native-born men. The disparity for women was most 

pronounced in service occupations—33.1 percent of foreign-born women worked in that occupation 

group, compared with 18.8 percent of native-born women. By contrast, employed foreign-born men and 

women were less likely than their native-born counterparts to work in management, professional, and 

related occupations and in sales and office occupations. 

Earnings 

In 2017, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers ($730) 

were 82.5 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($885). Among men, median weekly 

earnings for the foreign-born ($776) were 79.3 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts 

($978). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($660) were 83.8 percent of the earnings of their 

native-born counterparts ($788). Differences in earnings reflect a variety of factors, including variations 

in the distributions of foreign-born and native-born workers by educational attainment, occupation, 

industry, and geographic region. (See table 5.) 
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Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Hispanic foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers 

earned 82.3 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2017. For Black workers, earnings for 

the foreign born and the native born were almost the same. White and Asian foreign-born workers 

earned more than their native-born counterparts. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2017, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma earned $506 per week, while those 

with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.6 times as much—$1,340 per week. Among the 

native born, those with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.3 times as much as those with less 

than a high school diploma—$1,271 versus $560 per week. 

Native-born workers earn more than the foreign born at most educational attainment levels. However, 

there is a relatively small gap between the earnings of foreign-born and native-born workers for those 

with a bachelor’s degree and higher. For example, among high school graduates (no college), full-time 

workers who were foreign born earned 84.3 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2017. 

Among those with a bachelor’s degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born workers ($1,340) were 

not much different from the earnings of native-born workers ($1,271). 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release are based on annual 

average data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). 

The CPS, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau 

for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is a monthly 

survey of about 60,000 eligible households that provides 

information on the labor force status, demographics, and 

other characteristics of the nation's civilian noninstitutional 

population age 16 and over. In response to the increased 

demand for statistical information about the foreign born, 

questions on nativity, citizenship, year of entry into the 

United States, and the parental nativity of respondents were 

added to the CPS beginning in January 1994. Prior to 1994, 

the primary sources of data on the foreign born were the 

decennial census, two CPS supplements (conducted in April 

1983 and November 1989), and, to some extent, 

information collected by the U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (formerly known as the Immigration 

and Naturalization Service). 

The foreign- and native-born data presented in this 

release are not strictly comparable with data for earlier 

years due to the introduction of updated population 

estimates, or controls, used in the CPS. The population 

controls are updated each year in January to reflect the 

latest information about population change. Additional 

information is available from the BLS website at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop. 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 

Reliability of the estimates 

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather 

than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance 

that the sample estimates may differ from the true 

population values they represent. The component of this 

difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is 

known as sampling error, and its variability is measured by 

the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-

percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate 

based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard 

errors from the true population value because of sampling 

error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-

percent level of confidence. 

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. 

Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including 

the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability 

to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, 

inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct 

information, and errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data. 

Additional information about the reliability of data 

from the CPS and estimating standard errors is available at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. 

Definitions 

Definitions of the principal terms used in this release 

are presented below. 

Foreign born. The foreign born are persons residing in 

the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. That 

is, they were born outside the United States or one of its 

outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam, to parents 

neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. The foreign-born 

population includes legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, 

temporary residents such as students and temporary 

workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, 

however, do not separately identify the number of persons 

in these categories. 

Native born. The native born are persons born in the 

United States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto 

Rico or Guam or who were born abroad of at least one 

parent who was a U.S. citizen. 

Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the data are 

presented for non-Hispanic whites, blacks, and Asians and 

for persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. These four 

groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other 

race groups (including persons who selected more than one 

race category) are included in the overall totals but are not 

shown separately because the number of survey 

respondents is too small to develop statistically reliable 

estimates. The presentation of data on race and ethnicity in 

this release differs from that which appears in most 

analyses of CPS labor force data because persons of 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are separated from the race 

groups. Because persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity can 

be of any race, they are usually included in the race groups 

as well as shown separately in the Hispanic or Latino 

ethnicity group. The reason for the difference in the data 

presentation in this release is because about half of the 

foreign born are of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and they 

have somewhat different labor force characteristics than the 

non-Hispanic foreign born. 

Employed. Employed persons are all those who, 

during the survey reference week, (a) did any work at all as 

paid employees; (b) worked in their own business, 

profession, or on their own farm; or (c) worked 15 hours or 

more as unpaid workers in a family member's business. 

Persons who were temporarily absent from their jobs 

because of illness, bad weather, vacation, labor dispute, or 

another reason also are counted as employed. 
Unemployed. The unemployed are those who had no 

employment during the reference week, were available for 

work at that time, and had made specific efforts to find 

employment sometime during the 4-week period ending 

with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be 

recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not 

be looking for work to be classified as unemployed. 

Civilian labor force. The civilian labor force 

comprises all persons classified as employed or 

unemployed. 

Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the 

number unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force. 

Labor force participation rate. The labor force 

participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the 

population. 

Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before 

taxes and other deductions and include any overtime pay, 

commissions, or tips usually received (at the main job in the 

case of multiple jobholders). Earnings reported on a basis 

other than weekly are converted to a weekly equivalent. 

Full-time wage and salary workers. These are workers 

who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole 

or principal job and receive wages, salaries, and other types 

of compensation. The group includes employees in both the 

private and public sectors but, for purposes of the earnings 

series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of 

whether or not their businesses are incorporated. 

Median earnings. The median earnings is the amount 

which divides a given earnings distribution into two equal 

groups, one having earnings above the median and the other 

having earnings below the median. 
Table 1. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations by selected characteristics,

2016-2017 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2016 2017

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Number

Unemployment

rate

Number

Unemployment

rate

TOTAL

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253,538 159,187 62.8 151,436 7,751 4.9 255,079 160,320 62.9 153,337 6,982 4.4

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122,497 84,755 69.2 80,568 4,187 4.9 123,275 85,145 69.1 81,402 3,743 4.4

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131,040 74,432 56.8 70,868 3,564 4.8 131,804 75,175 57.0 71,936 3,239 4.3

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,321 26,951 65.2 25,779 1,172 4.3 41,500 27,373 66.0 26,254 1,119 4.1

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,057 15,595 77.8 15,007 588 3.8 20,135 15,735 78.1 15,171 564 3.6

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,264 11,356 53.4 10,772 584 5.1 21,365 11,638 54.5 11,083 555 4.8

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,702 1,886 50.9 1,726 160 8.5 3,547 1,886 53.2 1,727 159 8.4

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,785 5,836 75.0 5,589 247 4.2 7,820 5,898 75.4 5,656 242 4.1

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,218 7,259 78.8 6,990 269 3.7 9,189 7,299 79.4 7,043 256 3.5

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,369 6,690 79.9 6,430 259 3.9 8,481 6,826 80.5 6,592 234 3.4

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,019 4,044 67.2 3,863 180 4.5 6,146 4,209 68.5 4,040 169 4.0

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,228 1,235 19.8 1,180 55 4.5 6,317 1,256 19.9 1,196 60 4.8

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,415 4,375 59.0 4,213 162 3.7 7,524 4,503 59.9 4,324 179 4.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,576 2,508 70.1 2,356 152 6.1 3,599 2,575 71.5 2,430 145 5.6

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,697 6,747 63.1 6,516 231 3.4 10,738 6,903 64.3 6,684 220 3.2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,175 13,014 67.9 12,404 610 4.7 19,174 13,098 68.3 12,540 558 4.3

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,619 25,064 66.6 24,053 1,011 4.0 37,953 25,488 67.2 24,527 961 3.8

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 9,696 5,625 58.0 5,333 291 5.2 9,510 5,566 58.5 5,309 257 4.6

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 9,509 6,187 65.1 5,911 276 4.5 9,697 6,412 66.1 6,160 252 3.9

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 6,109 4,259 69.7 4,090 169 4.0 6,070 4,273 70.4 4,116 156 3.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 12,305 8,994 73.1 8,718 275 3.1 12,677 9,237 72.9 8,942 294 3.2

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212,217 132,236 62.3 125,657 6,580 5.0 213,579 132,946 62.2 127,083 5,863 4.4

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102,441 69,160 67.5 65,561 3,599 5.2 103,140 69,410 67.3 66,231 3,179 4.6

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109,776 63,076 57.5 60,096 2,981 4.7 110,439 63,536 57.5 60,852 2,684 4.2

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,733 19,316 55.6 17,266 2,050 10.6 34,603 19,275 55.7 17,479 1,796 9.3

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,762 29,683 83.0 28,133 1,550 5.2 36,138 30,187 83.5 28,782 1,405 4.7

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,599 25,560 83.5 24,572 988 3.9 30,763 25,735 83.7 24,849 886 3.4

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,028 27,219 80.0 26,289 929 3.4 33,306 26,737 80.3 25,911 827 3.1

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,289 22,422 63.5 21,661 761 3.4 35,544 22,690 63.8 22,024 666 2.9

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,807 8,036 19.2 7,736 300 3.7 43,225 8,321 19.3 8,038 283 3.4

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154,543 96,503 62.4 92,671 3,832 4.0 154,598 96,148 62.2 92,779 3,369 3.5

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,538 15,947 60.1 14,536 1,411 8.8 26,764 16,239 60.7 14,965 1,274 7.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,004 2,508 62.6 2,401 107 4.2 4,219 2,614 62.0 2,515 99 3.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,522 13,783 64.0 12,845 938 6.8 22,197 14,242 64.2 13,398 843 5.9

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177,484 112,920 63.6 108,391 4,529 4.0 178,976 113,672 63.5 109,604 4,067 3.6

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 13,672 5,054 37.0 4,551 504 10.0 13,128 4,776 36.4 4,359 417 8.7

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 52,513 29,461 56.1 27,890 1,571 5.3 52,496 29,462 56.1 28,050 1,412 4.8

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 51,075 33,675 65.9 32,295 1,380 4.1 51,191 33,424 65.3 32,166 1,257 3.8

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 60,224 44,729 74.3 43,655 1,074 2.4 62,161 46,009 74.0 45,029 981 2.1

1 Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 2. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by presence

and age of youngest child and sex, 2016-2017 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2016 2017

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 15,485 7,231 8,254 15,292 7,162 8,130

Civilian labor force.................................................. 11,622 6,759 4,863 11,557 6,669 4,888

Participation rate.................................................. 75.1 93.5 58.9 75.6 93.1 60.1

Employed.......................................................... 11,147 6,546 4,601 11,141 6,481 4,660

Employment-population ratio................................. 72.0 90.5 55.7 72.9 90.5 57.3

Unemployed....................................................... 475 213 262 416 187 228

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.1 3.1 5.4 3.6 2.8 4.7

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 8,709 3,978 4,732 8,682 3,966 4,716

Civilian labor force.................................................. 6,801 3,681 3,120 6,848 3,660 3,188

Participation rate.................................................. 78.1 92.5 65.9 78.9 92.3 67.6

Employed.......................................................... 6,522 3,563 2,960 6,606 3,562 3,044

Employment-population ratio................................. 74.9 89.6 62.5 76.1 89.8 64.5

Unemployed....................................................... 278 118 160 243 99 144

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.1 3.2 5.1 3.5 2.7 4.5

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 6,776 3,254 3,522 6,609 3,196 3,414

Civilian labor force.................................................. 4,821 3,078 1,743 4,709 3,008 1,700

Participation rate.................................................. 71.2 94.6 49.5 71.2 94.1 49.8

Employed.......................................................... 4,624 2,983 1,641 4,536 2,920 1,616

Employment-population ratio................................. 68.3 91.7 46.6 68.6 91.4 47.3

Unemployed....................................................... 197 95 102 173 88 85

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.1 3.1 5.8 3.7 2.9 5.0

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 3,684 1,796 1,888 3,600 1,764 1,836

Civilian labor force.................................................. 2,527 1,691 836 2,478 1,662 816

Participation rate.................................................. 68.6 94.1 44.3 68.8 94.2 44.4

Employed.......................................................... 2,434 1,643 791 2,383 1,609 774

Employment-population ratio................................. 66.1 91.5 41.9 66.2 91.2 42.2

Unemployed....................................................... 94 48 46 95 53 42

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.7 2.8 5.5 3.8 3.2 5.1

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 25,836 12,825 13,010 26,209 12,974 13,235

Civilian labor force.................................................. 15,329 8,835 6,493 15,816 9,066 6,750

Participation rate.................................................. 59.3 68.9 49.9 60.3 69.9 51.0

Employed.......................................................... 14,632 8,461 6,171 15,113 8,690 6,423

Employment-population ratio................................. 56.6 66.0 47.4 57.7 67.0 48.5

Unemployed....................................................... 697 375 322 704 377 327

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.5 4.2 5.0 4.4 4.2 4.8

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 49,570 21,761 27,809 48,896 21,578 27,318

Civilian labor force.................................................. 40,699 20,143 20,556 40,318 19,993 20,325

Participation rate.................................................. 82.1 92.6 73.9 82.5 92.7 74.4

Employed.......................................................... 39,093 19,493 19,600 38,895 19,438 19,457

Employment-population ratio................................. 78.9 89.6 70.5 79.5 90.1 71.2

Unemployed....................................................... 1,607 651 956 1,423 555 868

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.9 3.2 4.6 3.5 2.8 4.3

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 27,781 12,175 15,607 27,604 12,187 15,416

Civilian labor force.................................................. 23,287 11,155 12,132 23,212 11,152 12,060

Participation rate.................................................. 83.8 91.6 77.7 84.1 91.5 78.2

Employed.......................................................... 22,475 10,830 11,645 22,458 10,866 11,591

Employment-population ratio................................. 80.9 89.0 74.6 81.4 89.2 75.2
Table 2. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by presence

and age of youngest child and sex, 2016-2017 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2016 2017

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed....................................................... 812 325 486 754 286 468

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.5 2.9 4.0 3.2 2.6 3.9

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 21,789 9,586 12,202 21,292 9,391 11,901

Civilian labor force.................................................. 17,412 8,988 8,424 17,106 8,841 8,265

Participation rate.................................................. 79.9 93.8 69.0 80.3 94.1 69.4

Employed.......................................................... 16,617 8,663 7,954 16,437 8,572 7,866

Employment-population ratio................................. 76.3 90.4 65.2 77.2 91.3 66.1

Unemployed....................................................... 795 325 470 669 269 399

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.6 3.6 5.6 3.9 3.0 4.8

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 13,072 5,803 7,270 12,690 5,649 7,041

Civilian labor force.................................................. 10,296 5,471 4,826 10,060 5,348 4,712

Participation rate.................................................. 78.8 94.3 66.4 79.3 94.7 66.9

Employed.......................................................... 9,822 5,270 4,552 9,661 5,185 4,476

Employment-population ratio................................. 75.1 90.8 62.6 76.1 91.8 63.6

Unemployed....................................................... 475 201 274 399 163 236

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.6 3.7 5.7 4.0 3.1 5.0

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 162,647 80,679 81,967 164,683 81,562 83,121

Civilian labor force.................................................. 91,537 49,017 42,521 92,629 49,417 43,211

Participation rate.................................................. 56.3 60.8 51.9 56.2 60.6 52.0

Employed.......................................................... 86,564 46,068 40,496 88,188 46,793 41,395

Employment-population ratio................................. 53.2 57.1 49.4 53.6 57.4 49.8

Unemployed....................................................... 4,973 2,948 2,025 4,441 2,625 1,816

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.4 6.0 4.8 4.8 5.3 4.2

NOTE: Own children include sons, daughters, step-children, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related

and unrelated children. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 3. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 25 years and over by educational

attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2016-2017 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2016 2017

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High

school

graduates,

no

college1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree

and

higher2

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High

school

graduates,

no

college1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree

and

higher2

FOREIGN BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 599 1,610 1,347 3,343 574 1,653 1,364 3,445

Civilian labor force..................................... 203 805 786 2,337 206 841 812 2,409

Participation rate.................................... 34.0 50.0 58.3 69.9 35.9 50.9 59.6 69.9

Employed............................................. 192 772 755 2,271 193 803 779 2,341

Employment-population ratio.................... 32.1 48.0 56.1 67.9 33.7 48.6 57.1 68.0

Unemployed.......................................... 11 33 31 66 13 39 33 68

Unemployment rate.............................. 5.6 4.1 3.9 2.8 6.3 4.6 4.1 2.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 403 878 814 1,060 388 895 798 1,113

Civilian labor force..................................... 220 591 633 871 210 628 612 911

Participation rate.................................... 54.6 67.3 77.7 82.2 54.3 70.1 76.7 81.9

Employed............................................. 201 550 600 833 197 593 585 866

Employment-population ratio.................... 49.9 62.7 73.7 78.6 50.7 66.3 73.2 77.8

Unemployed.......................................... 19 41 32 37 14 35 27 45

Unemployment rate.............................. 8.6 6.9 5.1 4.3 6.5 5.5 4.5 5.0

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 1,074 1,895 1,345 5,466 1,052 1,932 1,381 5,515

Civilian labor force..................................... 422 1,129 903 3,932 421 1,185 940 3,983

Participation rate.................................... 39.3 59.6 67.1 71.9 40.0 61.3 68.1 72.2

Employed............................................. 407 1,083 872 3,822 404 1,154 909 3,864

Employment-population ratio.................... 37.9 57.2 64.8 69.9 38.4 59.7 65.8 70.1

Unemployed.......................................... 15 46 31 110 17 31 31 120

Unemployment rate.............................. 3.6 4.1 3.4 2.8 4.0 2.6 3.3 3.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,574 5,034 2,492 2,291 7,438 5,108 2,433 2,458

Civilian labor force..................................... 4,757 3,604 1,858 1,744 4,698 3,694 1,850 1,824

Participation rate.................................... 62.8 71.6 74.5 76.1 63.2 72.3 76.0 74.2

Employed............................................. 4,514 3,451 1,787 1,687 4,488 3,551 1,789 1,766

Employment-population ratio.................... 59.6 68.6 71.7 73.6 60.3 69.5 73.5 71.8

Unemployed.......................................... 243 153 71 56 210 143 61 58

Unemployment rate.............................. 5.1 4.2 3.8 3.2 4.5 3.9 3.3 3.2

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 8,248 38,586 37,803 49,550 7,804 38,295 37,581 50,848

Civilian labor force..................................... 2,916 21,014 24,331 36,292 2,713 20,767 23,817 37,050

Participation rate.................................... 35.4 54.5 64.4 73.2 34.8 54.2 63.4 72.9

Employed............................................. 2,683 20,091 23,477 35,488 2,524 19,959 23,057 36,326

Employment-population ratio.................... 32.5 52.1 62.1 71.6 32.3 52.1 61.4 71.4

Unemployed.......................................... 233 923 854 803 189 808 760 724

Unemployment rate.............................. 8.0 4.4 3.5 2.2 7.0 3.9 3.2 2.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,579 7,463 6,640 4,820 2,486 7,507 6,754 5,065

Civilian labor force..................................... 861 4,299 4,508 3,679 785 4,355 4,632 3,888

Participation rate.................................... 33.4 57.6 67.9 76.3 31.6 58.0 68.6 76.8

Employed............................................. 721 3,917 4,224 3,549 663 3,998 4,352 3,766

Employment-population ratio.................... 28.0 52.5 63.6 73.6 26.7 53.3 64.4 74.4

Unemployed.......................................... 140 382 284 130 123 357 280 122

Unemployment rate.............................. 16.3 8.9 6.3 3.5 15.6 8.2 6.0 3.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 152 461 640 1,569 141 476 610 1,714

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 3. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 25 years and over by educational

attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2016-2017 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2016 2017

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High

school

graduates,

no

college1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree

and

higher2

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High

school

graduates,

no

college1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree

and

higher2

Civilian labor force..................................... 61 271 449 1,252 54 279 420 1,355

Participation rate.................................... 40.0 58.9 70.2 79.8 38.4 58.6 68.9 79.1

Employed............................................. 56 262 427 1,218 52 269 407 1,329

Employment-population ratio.................... 36.8 56.8 66.6 77.6 36.8 56.6 66.8 77.5

Unemployed.......................................... 5 9 23 34 2 10 13 26

Unemployment rate.............................. 7.9 3.5 5.1 2.7 4.3 3.5 3.1 1.9

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,282 4,757 4,560 3,218 2,291 4,904 4,787 3,422

Civilian labor force..................................... 1,058 3,139 3,420 2,654 1,057 3,273 3,556 2,837

Participation rate.................................... 46.4 66.0 75.0 82.5 46.1 66.7 74.3 82.9

Employed............................................. 958 2,946 3,266 2,576 974 3,091 3,407 2,759

Employment-population ratio.................... 42.0 61.9 71.6 80.0 42.5 63.0 71.2 80.6

Unemployed.......................................... 100 193 154 78 83 182 149 78

Unemployment rate.............................. 9.5 6.2 4.5 3.0 7.8 5.6 4.2 2.7

1

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

2

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Updated population controls are introduced

annually with the release of January data.
Table 4. Employed foreign-born and native-born persons 16 years and over by occupation and sex, 2017

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)....................................... 26,254 15,171 11,083 127,083 66,231 60,852

Occupation as a percent of total employed

Total employed......................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations........... 32.3 30.7 34.3 41.3 37.5 45.4

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations..................................................... 12.3 12.6 11.9 17.4 18.6 16.2

Management occupations.................................... 8.6 9.6 7.4 12.2 14.0 10.3

Business and financial operations occupations............ 3.7 3.0 4.6 5.2 4.6 5.9

Professional and related occupations.......................... 20.0 18.2 22.4 23.8 18.9 29.2

Computer and mathematical occupations.................. 4.8 6.4 2.5 2.8 3.9 1.6

Architecture and engineering occupations.................. 2.3 3.2 1.0 2.1 3.3 0.7

Life, physical, and social science occupations............. 1.3 1.2 1.4 0.9 0.9 0.9

Community and social service occupations................ 0.9 0.6 1.2 1.9 1.2 2.6

Legal occupations............................................. 0.5 0.4 0.8 1.3 1.2 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations................ 3.7 2.2 5.7 6.5 3.3 10.0

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations.................................................. 1.4 1.3 1.5 2.3 2.3 2.2

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations....... 5.2 2.9 8.4 6.1 2.8 9.7

Service occupations................................................ 23.9 17.2 33.1 16.1 13.6 18.8

Healthcare support occupations................................ 2.8 0.6 5.8 2.2 0.5 4.0

Protective service occupations................................. 0.8 1.1 0.4 2.3 3.4 1.1

Food preparation and serving related occupations.......... 7.1 6.6 7.8 5.1 4.3 5.9

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations..................................................... 8.4 7.0 10.3 2.9 3.7 2.1

Personal care and service occupations....................... 4.8 1.8 8.8 3.7 1.7 5.8

Sales and office occupations...................................... 15.0 11.1 20.4 23.3 17.0 30.1

Sales and related occupations.................................. 7.5 6.7 8.7 10.9 10.6 11.2

Office and administrative support occupations............... 7.5 4.4 11.8 12.4 6.4 18.9

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations........................................................ 13.9 22.6 2.0 8.3 15.2 0.8

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.................... 1.7 2.1 1.2 0.6 0.9 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations...................... 9.3 15.6 0.5 4.4 8.2 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations........... 2.9 4.8 0.2 3.3 6.1 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving

occupations........................................................ 14.9 18.4 10.1 11.0 16.7 4.9

Production occupations.......................................... 7.5 7.9 7.0 5.1 7.3 2.7

Transportation and material moving occupations............ 7.4 10.5 3.1 5.9 9.4 2.1

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native

born by selected characteristics, 2016-2017 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2016 2017

Foreign born Native born

Earnings

of

foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born

Foreign born Native born

Earnings

of

foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Total, 16 years and over.................. 19,463 $715 91,628 $860 83.1 19,914 $730 93,358 $885 82.5

Men........................................ 12,008 751 49,922 951 79.0 12,123 776 50,857 978 79.3

Women.................................... 7,455 655 41,706 762 86.0 7,791 660 42,501 788 83.8

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 1,081 497 8,995 502 99.0 1,065 506 9,216 521 97.1

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,532 667 22,924 767 87.0 4,610 701 23,586 786 89.2

35 to 44 years.............................. 5,432 756 19,851 972 77.8 5,560 790 20,102 1,003 78.8

45 to 54 years.............................. 4,929 765 20,723 995 76.9 5,009 760 20,642 1,019 74.6

55 to 64 years.............................. 2,774 796 15,722 977 81.5 2,958 765 16,199 1,007 76.0

65 years and over.......................... 715 735 3,412 897 81.9 712 721 3,615 937 76.9

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY1

White non-Hispanic or Latino............. 2,967 1,025 66,686 927 110.6 3,040 1,080 67,242 955 113.1

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 1,849 693 11,287 677 102.4 1,885 682 11,669 683 99.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............. 4,993 1,061 1,818 975 108.8 5,189 1,076 1,943 1,007 106.9

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................ 9,417 582 9,533 697 83.5 9,579 596 10,036 724 82.3

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 18,383 735 82,633 914 80.4 18,848 751 84,142 937 80.1

Less than a high school diploma. . . . .. 4,051 489 3,057 525 93.1 4,113 506 2,925 560 90.4

High school graduates, no college2

. .. 4,379 608 21,096 709 85.8 4,539 619 21,472 734 84.3

Some college or associate degree. . .. 2,987 710 24,321 789 90.0 3,003 727 24,384 808 90.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

......... 6,966 1,311 34,159 1,253 104.6 7,193 1,340 35,362 1,271 105.4

1 Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 6. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by census

region and division, 2016-2017 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2016 2017

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Number

Unemployment

rate

Number

Unemployment

rate

FOREIGN BORN

Northeast................... 8,688 5,552 63.9 5,288 263 4.7 8,623 5,586 64.8 5,326 260 4.7

New England............ 1,882 1,241 65.9 1,184 57 4.6 1,939 1,311 67.6 1,247 64 4.9

Middle Atlantic.......... 6,806 4,310 63.3 4,104 207 4.8 6,684 4,275 64.0 4,079 196 4.6

South....................... 14,023 9,359 66.7 8,997 362 3.9 14,232 9,554 67.1 9,214 340 3.6

South Atlantic........... 8,213 5,487 66.8 5,268 219 4.0 8,400 5,669 67.5 5,452 217 3.8

East South Central. . . .. 695 466 67.0 452 13 2.9 716 494 68.9 476 17 3.5

West South Central. . .. 5,115 3,406 66.6 3,277 129 3.8 5,116 3,391 66.3 3,285 106 3.1

Midwest..................... 4,465 2,997 67.1 2,875 122 4.1 4,451 3,051 68.5 2,929 122 4.0

East North Central. . . .. 3,287 2,178 66.3 2,095 84 3.8 3,239 2,180 67.3 2,102 78 3.6

West North Central..... 1,178 818 69.5 780 38 4.6 1,212 871 71.9 827 44 5.0

West........................ 14,144 9,044 63.9 8,619 424 4.7 14,194 9,183 64.7 8,785 397 4.3

Mountain................. 2,654 1,743 65.7 1,663 80 4.6 2,688 1,793 66.7 1,710 83 4.6

Pacific.................... 11,491 7,300 63.5 6,956 344 4.7 11,506 7,390 64.2 7,075 315 4.3

NATIVE BORN

Northeast................... 36,630 22,978 62.7 21,870 1,108 4.8 36,630 22,924 62.6 21,905 1,019 4.4

New England............ 10,106 6,604 65.3 6,340 264 4.0 10,074 6,614 65.7 6,364 250 3.8

Middle Atlantic.......... 26,523 16,374 61.7 15,530 844 5.2 26,557 16,310 61.4 15,541 769 4.7

South....................... 81,021 48,854 60.3 46,381 2,473 5.1 81,780 49,496 60.5 47,274 2,222 4.5

South Atlantic........... 42,178 25,458 60.4 24,180 1,278 5.0 42,584 25,865 60.7 24,727 1,138 4.4

East South Central. . . .. 14,100 8,138 57.7 7,700 438 5.4 14,160 8,217 58.0 7,848 369 4.5

West South Central. . .. 24,742 15,257 61.7 14,500 757 5.0 25,036 15,414 61.6 14,698 716 4.6

Midwest..................... 48,896 31,875 65.2 30,364 1,511 4.7 48,973 31,679 64.7 30,369 1,310 4.1

East North Central. . . .. 33,596 21,467 63.9 20,364 1,103 5.1 33,663 21,403 63.6 20,431 972 4.5

West North Central..... 15,300 10,407 68.0 10,000 408 3.9 15,310 10,277 67.1 9,938 339 3.3

West........................ 45,671 28,530 62.5 27,042 1,488 5.2 46,196 28,847 62.4 27,536 1,311 4.5

Mountain................. 15,678 9,889 63.1 9,435 454 4.6 15,968 10,121 63.4 9,718 404 4.0

Pacific.................... 29,993 18,641 62.2 17,607 1,034 5.5 30,229 18,726 61.9 17,818 908 4.8

NOTE: The states (plus the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New

Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont); Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania); South Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia,

Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia); East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and

Tennessee); West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas); East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin);

West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota); Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,

Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming); Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). Updated population controls are introduced

annually with the release of January data.