For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, May 15, 2020 USDL-20-0922 

Technical information: cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

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

FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS: LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS — 2019

The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 3.1 percent in 2019, down 

from 3.5 percent in 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of nativeborn persons was 3.8 percent in 2019, down from 4.0 percent in 2018. 

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 not U.S. citizens at birth. Specifically, they were born outside the United States (or one of its 

outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam), and neither parent was a U.S. citizen. The foreign born 

include legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary 

workers, and undocumented immigrants. However, the survey does not separately identify persons in 

these categories. For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note in this news release.

Highlights from the 2019 data: 

• In 2019, there were 28.4 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 17.4 

percent of the total. (See table 1.)

• Hispanics continued to account for nearly half of the foreign-born labor force in 2019, and Asians 

accounted for one-quarter. (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 men were more likely to participate in the labor force than native-born men (78.0 

percent compared with 67.4 percent), while foreign-born women were less likely to participate in the 

labor force than native-born women (54.8 percent compared with 57.9 percent). (See table 1.)

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

occupations; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and production, 

transportation, and material moving occupations. Foreign-born workers were less likely than nativeborn workers to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations and in sales and 

office occupations. (See table 4.)

• The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $800 in 

2019, compared with $941 for their native-born counterparts. (See table 5.) (Differences in earnings 
2

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 2019, men accounted for 57.2 percent of the foreign-born labor force, compared with 52.1 

percent of the native-born labor force. By age, the proportion of the foreign-born labor force made up of 

25- to 54-year-olds (72.5 percent) was higher than for the native-born labor force (61.8 percent). Labor 

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

In 2019, nearly half (47.6 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and one-quarter (25.3 

percent) was Asian. In 2019, Hispanics and Asians made up much lower percentages of the native-born 

labor force, at 11.5 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. About 16.4 percent of the foreign-born labor 

force was White and 9.6 percent was Black, compared with 71.1 percent and 12.3 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 20.4 percent in 2019, much higher than the figure for the native-born 

labor force, at 3.9 percent. The foreign born were less likely than the native born to have some college or 

an associate degree—16.2 percent compared with 28.6 percent. The proportions for foreign-born and 

native-born high school graduates (24.9 percent compared with 25.5 percent) and those with a bachelor's 

degree or higher (38.6 percent compared with 42.0 percent) were more similar.

Labor Force 

In 2019, the share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 17.4 percent, the same as in 

2018. (See table 1.) The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 13.3 percent in 

2000. 

In 2019, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born edged up to 66.0 percent from 65.7 percent 

in the prior year. The participation rate for the native born increased to 62.5 percent in 2019 from 62.3 

percent in 2018. 

Foreign-born men continued to participate in the labor force at a considerably higher rate (78.0 percent) 

in 2019 than their native-born counterparts (67.4 percent). In contrast, 54.8 percent of foreign-born

women were labor force participants, somewhat lower than the rate of 57.9 percent for native-born 

women.

Labor force participation rates for the foreign-born varied across the major race and ethnicity groups in 

2019, ranging from 60.3 percent for foreign-born Whites to 70.8 percent for foreign-born Blacks. 

Participation rates for the native born showed less variation across race and ethnicity groups, ranging 

from 61.1 percent for native-born Blacks to 65.4 percent for native-born Hispanics. Across all race and

ethnicity groups, participation rates showed little or no change from 2018 to 2019 for both the foreign 

born and the native born, except for native-born Hispanics, whose rate increased from 64.5 percent to 

65.4 percent. 
3

In 2019, foreign-born mothers with children under age 18 were less likely to be labor force participants 

than native-born mothers—61.7 percent compared with 75.5 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. Among women with children under age 6, the 

participation rate for foreign-born mothers was 52.6 percent, 17.7 percentage points below that for 

native-born mothers, at 70.3 percent. In comparison, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born 

mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (68.0 percent) was 11.6 percentage points lower than that for nativeborn mothers with children ages 6 to 17 (79.6 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreignborn and native-born fathers with children under age 18 were similar, at 93.9 percent and 93.2 percent, 

respectively. (See table 2.)

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West (23.5 percent) and in 

the Northeast (20.2 percent) in 2019 than for the nation as a whole (17.4 percent). In contrast, the 

foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force than for the nation as a whole in the South (16.5 

percent) and the Midwest (9.7 percent). (See table 6.) 

Unemployment

The unemployment rate of the foreign born declined from 3.5 percent to 3.1 percent from 2018 to 2019, 

and the jobless rate for the native born decreased from 4.0 percent to 3.8 percent. For both the foreign 

born and the native born, the 2019 jobless rates were the lowest in the history of the series (which date 

back to January 1996, when data for these series first became available on a regular basis). The over-theyear decrease in the unemployment rates of the foreign born and the native born reflected decreases in 

the rates for both men and women. In 2019, the unemployment rates for foreign-born men and women 

were 2.7 percent and 3.7 percent, compared with 4.0 percent and 3.6 percent for native-born men and 

women. (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 in 2019 (4.1 percent), followed by 

Hispanics (3.4 percent), Whites (2.9 percent), and Asians (2.4 percent). Among the native born, Blacks 

also had the highest jobless rate (6.5 percent), followed by Hispanics (5.1 percent), Asians (3.3 percent), 

and Whites (3.0 percent).

Occupation 

In 2019, foreign-born workers continued to be more likely than native-born workers to be employed in 

service occupations (22.5 percent compared with 16.0 percent); natural resources, construction, and 

maintenance occupations (13.4 percent compared with 8.2 percent); and production, transportation, and 

material moving occupations (14.7 percent compared with 11.2 percent). Foreign-born workers were 

less likely than native-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related 

occupations (33.9 percent compared with 42.2 percent) and in sales and office occupations (15.5 percent 

compared with 22.4 percent). (See table 4.) 

In 2019, 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 employed men, the disparity was 

especially great in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations—21.8 percent of the 

foreign born worked in this occupational field, compared with 15.0 percent of the native born. The 
4

occupational disparity for women was pronounced in service occupations—31.4 percent of the foreign 

born worked in that occupation group, compared with 19.0 percent of the native born. By contrast, 

employed native-born men and women were more likely than their foreign-born counterparts to work in 

management, professional, and related occupations and in sales and office occupations. 

Earnings

In 2019, median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers ($800) were 

85.0 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($941). Among men, median weekly 

earnings for the foreign born ($863) were 82.8 percent of the earnings of the native born ($1,042). 

Median earnings for foreign-born women ($719) were 85.5 percent of the earnings of native-born 

women ($841). (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. 

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Hispanic foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers 

earned 86.7 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2019. For Black and Asian workers, 

earnings for the foreign born and the native born were similar (less than a 3 percent difference for both 

groups), while White foreign-born workers earned 12.3 percent more than their native-born 

counterparts. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2019, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma earned $577 per week, while those 

with a bachelor's degree and higher earned about 2.5 times as much—$1,418 per week. Among the 

native born, those with a bachelor's degree and higher earned 2.2 times as much as those with less than a 

high school diploma—$1,360 compared with $617 per week.

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

example, among high school graduates (no college), full-time workers who were foreign born ($675) 

earned 88.1 percent as much as their native-born counterparts ($766) in 2019. However, among those 

with a bachelor's degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born workers ($1,418) were slightly higher 

than the earnings of native-born workers ($1,360).
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,

2018-2019 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2018 2019

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257,791 162,075 62.9 155,761 6,314 3.9 259,175 163,539 63.1 157,538 6,001 3.7

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124,678 86,096 69.1 82,698 3,398 3.9 125,353 86,687 69.2 83,460 3,227 3.7

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133,112 75,978 57.1 73,063 2,916 3.8 133,822 76,852 57.4 74,078 2,774 3.6

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,898 28,202 65.7 27,217 986 3.5 42,990 28,390 66.0 27,502 888 3.1

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,803 16,203 77.9 15,714 488 3.0 20,814 16,234 78.0 15,791 443 2.7

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,095 12,000 54.3 11,502 497 4.1 22,176 12,156 54.8 11,711 446 3.7

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,443 1,761 51.2 1,638 124 7.0 3,330 1,735 52.1 1,619 116 6.7

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,946 6,092 76.7 5,877 215 3.5 7,665 5,917 77.2 5,726 191 3.2

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,499 7,520 79.2 7,302 219 2.9 9,361 7,459 79.7 7,273 187 2.5

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,715 7,044 80.8 6,844 200 2.8 8,878 7,219 81.3 7,018 201 2.8

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,542 4,425 67.6 4,255 170 3.8 6,699 4,585 68.5 4,450 135 3.0

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,754 1,360 20.1 1,301 58 4.3 7,057 1,475 20.9 1,416 59 4.0

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,837 4,676 59.7 4,517 160 3.4 7,710 4,651 60.3 4,515 136 2.9

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,786 2,682 70.8 2,560 122 4.6 3,837 2,716 70.8 2,606 110 4.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,118 7,082 63.7 6,895 187 2.6 11,180 7,187 64.3 7,013 174 2.4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,683 13,457 68.4 12,950 507 3.8 19,753 13,506 68.4 13,046 460 3.4

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,455 26,441 67.0 25,579 862 3.3 39,660 26,655 67.2 25,883 773 2.9

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 9,616 5,607 58.3 5,378 229 4.1 9,494 5,432 57.2 5,217 214 3.9

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 10,127 6,629 65.5 6,415 214 3.2 9,983 6,632 66.4 6,454 178 2.7

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 6,366 4,448 69.9 4,301 147 3.3 6,233 4,312 69.2 4,196 116 2.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 13,347 9,758 73.1 9,485 273 2.8 13,950 10,280 73.7 10,015 264 2.6

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214,892 133,872 62.3 128,544 5,328 4.0 216,185 135,148 62.5 130,036 5,112 3.8

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103,875 69,894 67.3 66,984 2,910 4.2 104,540 70,453 67.4 67,669 2,784 4.0

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111,018 63,979 57.6 61,560 2,418 3.8 111,645 64,696 57.9 62,367 2,328 3.6

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,561 19,223 55.6 17,539 1,684 8.8 34,418 19,358 56.2 17,703 1,654 8.5

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,635 30,682 83.8 29,447 1,235 4.0 37,211 31,274 84.0 30,081 1,193 3.8

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,071 26,099 84.0 25,315 784 3.0 31,599 26,598 84.2 25,854 743 2.8

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,525 26,267 80.8 25,529 738 2.8 31,566 25,713 81.5 25,024 689 2.7

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,572 22,929 64.5 22,310 619 2.7 35,542 23,018 64.8 22,443 575 2.5

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44,529 8,673 19.5 8,404 269 3.1 45,848 9,188 20.0 8,931 257 2.8

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154,396 95,991 62.2 92,952 3,038 3.2 154,457 96,132 62.2 93,210 2,922 3.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,076 16,484 60.9 15,355 1,129 6.8 27,105 16,566 61.1 15,497 1,069 6.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,408 2,761 62.6 2,657 104 3.8 4,720 2,973 63.0 2,874 99 3.3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,051 14,879 64.5 14,063 816 5.5 23,754 15,547 65.4 14,759 788 5.1

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180,332 114,650 63.6 111,005 3,644 3.2 181,767 115,791 63.7 112,333 3,458 3.0

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 12,635 4,671 37.0 4,323 347 7.4 12,132 4,544 37.5 4,224 320 7.0

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 52,465 29,382 56.0 28,135 1,247 4.2 52,476 29,530 56.3 28,383 1,146 3.9

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 51,038 33,138 64.9 32,036 1,101 3.3 51,280 33,108 64.6 32,086 1,022 3.1

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 64,193 47,459 73.9 46,511 949 2.0 65,878 48,609 73.8 47,640 969 2.0

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, 2018-2019 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2018 2019

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 15,770 7,446 8,324 15,499 7,341 8,159

Civilian labor force.................................................. 12,062 6,984 5,078 11,926 6,891 5,035

Participation rate.................................................. 76.5 93.8 61.0 76.9 93.9 61.7

Employed.......................................................... 11,675 6,815 4,860 11,574 6,735 4,840

Employment-population ratio................................. 74.0 91.5 58.4 74.7 91.7 59.3

Unemployed....................................................... 387 168 219 352 156 195

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.2 2.4 4.3 3.0 2.3 3.9

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 8,948 4,120 4,827 8,938 4,127 4,810

Civilian labor force.................................................. 7,127 3,824 3,303 7,093 3,820 3,273

Participation rate.................................................. 79.7 92.8 68.4 79.4 92.5 68.0

Employed.......................................................... 6,904 3,733 3,171 6,880 3,724 3,157

Employment-population ratio................................. 77.2 90.6 65.7 77.0 90.2 65.6

Unemployed....................................................... 223 91 132 212 96 116

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.1 2.4 4.0 3.0 2.5 3.6

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 6,823 3,326 3,497 6,562 3,213 3,348

Civilian labor force.................................................. 4,935 3,160 1,775 4,834 3,071 1,762

Participation rate.................................................. 72.3 95.0 50.8 73.7 95.6 52.6

Employed.......................................................... 4,771 3,082 1,689 4,694 3,011 1,683

Employment-population ratio................................. 69.9 92.7 48.3 71.5 93.7 50.3

Unemployed....................................................... 164 77 87 139 60 79

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.3 2.4 4.9 2.9 2.0 4.5

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 3,720 1,828 1,892 3,566 1,774 1,792

Civilian labor force.................................................. 2,589 1,732 857 2,566 1,695 871

Participation rate.................................................. 69.6 94.8 45.3 72.0 95.5 48.6

Employed.......................................................... 2,504 1,695 809 2,495 1,664 831

Employment-population ratio................................. 67.3 92.7 42.8 70.0 93.8 46.4

Unemployed....................................................... 85 37 48 71 31 40

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.3 2.2 5.6 2.8 1.8 4.6

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 27,128 13,357 13,771 27,491 13,473 14,018

Civilian labor force.................................................. 16,140 9,219 6,921 16,464 9,343 7,121

Participation rate.................................................. 59.5 69.0 50.3 59.9 69.3 50.8

Employed.......................................................... 15,542 8,899 6,643 15,927 9,056 6,871

Employment-population ratio................................. 57.3 66.6 48.2 57.9 67.2 49.0

Unemployed....................................................... 599 320 279 537 287 250

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.7 3.5 4.0 3.3 3.1 3.5

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 48,464 21,467 26,998 48,138 21,318 26,820

Civilian labor force.................................................. 40,144 19,984 20,161 40,107 19,865 20,242

Participation rate.................................................. 82.8 93.1 74.7 83.3 93.2 75.5

Employed.......................................................... 38,915 19,501 19,414 38,977 19,427 19,550

Employment-population ratio................................. 80.3 90.8 71.9 81.0 91.1 72.9

Unemployed....................................................... 1,229 483 746 1,130 438 692

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.1 2.4 3.7 2.8 2.2 3.4

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 26,933 11,874 15,059 26,768 11,859 14,909

Civilian labor force.................................................. 22,810 10,929 11,880 22,765 10,894 11,871

Participation rate.................................................. 84.7 92.0 78.9 85.0 91.9 79.6

Employed.......................................................... 22,193 10,696 11,497 22,169 10,661 11,508

Employment-population ratio................................. 82.4 90.1 76.3 82.8 89.9 77.2
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, 2018-2019 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2018 2019

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed....................................................... 617 233 384 596 233 363

Unemployment rate............................................ 2.7 2.1 3.2 2.6 2.1 3.1

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 21,532 9,593 11,939 21,370 9,458 11,912

Civilian labor force.................................................. 17,335 9,055 8,280 17,342 8,971 8,371

Participation rate.................................................. 80.5 94.4 69.4 81.1 94.8 70.3

Employed.......................................................... 16,723 8,805 7,918 16,808 8,766 8,042

Employment-population ratio................................. 77.7 91.8 66.3 78.7 92.7 67.5

Unemployed....................................................... 612 249 363 534 204 329

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.5 2.8 4.4 3.1 2.3 3.9

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 12,556 5,623 6,933 12,464 5,571 6,894

Civilian labor force.................................................. 9,932 5,328 4,605 9,941 5,300 4,641

Participation rate.................................................. 79.1 94.8 66.4 79.8 95.1 67.3

Employed.......................................................... 9,576 5,174 4,401 9,626 5,173 4,453

Employment-population ratio................................. 76.3 92.0 63.5 77.2 92.9 64.6

Unemployed....................................................... 357 153 204 315 127 188

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.6 2.9 4.4 3.2 2.4 4.1

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 166,428 82,408 84,020 168,047 83,222 84,825

Civilian labor force.................................................. 93,728 49,910 43,818 95,042 50,588 44,453

Participation rate.................................................. 56.3 60.6 52.2 56.6 60.8 52.4

Employed.......................................................... 89,629 47,483 42,146 91,060 48,242 42,817

Employment-population ratio................................. 53.9 57.6 50.2 54.2 58.0 50.5

Unemployed....................................................... 4,099 2,427 1,672 3,982 2,346 1,636

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.4 4.9 3.8 4.2 4.6 3.7

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, 2018-2019 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2018 2019

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..................... 644 1,708 1,361 3,617 563 1,686 1,369 3,610

Civilian labor force..................................... 250 849 817 2,515 186 897 794 2,523

Participation rate.................................... 38.9 49.7 60.0 69.5 33.0 53.2 58.0 69.9

Employed............................................. 238 823 791 2,440 179 871 771 2,456

Employment-population ratio.................... 36.9 48.2 58.1 67.5 31.9 51.7 56.3 68.0

Unemployed.......................................... 12 26 27 75 6 25 22 67

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.9 3.1 3.3 3.0 3.4 2.8 2.8 2.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 391 946 908 1,156 374 967 838 1,240

Civilian labor force..................................... 196 666 684 950 199 663 638 1,011

Participation rate.................................... 50.3 70.4 75.3 82.1 53.2 68.5 76.2 81.5

Employed............................................. 187 637 653 911 187 637 614 976

Employment-population ratio.................... 47.8 67.4 71.9 78.8 49.9 65.9 73.3 78.7

Unemployed.......................................... 10 28 31 38 12 26 24 36

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.9 4.2 4.5 4.0 6.1 3.9 3.8 3.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 1,015 1,955 1,402 5,844 1,079 1,829 1,318 6,096

Civilian labor force..................................... 403 1,145 934 4,257 410 1,062 878 4,478

Participation rate.................................... 39.7 58.6 66.7 72.8 38.0 58.1 66.6 73.5

Employed............................................. 393 1,121 910 4,152 399 1,044 857 4,378

Employment-population ratio.................... 38.7 57.3 64.9 71.0 37.0 57.1 65.0 71.8

Unemployed.......................................... 10 24 24 106 11 17 21 100

Unemployment rate.............................. 2.5 2.1 2.6 2.5 2.6 1.6 2.4 2.2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,514 5,410 2,577 2,585 7,436 5,392 2,572 2,834

Civilian labor force..................................... 4,730 3,908 1,930 1,923 4,618 3,941 1,910 2,142

Participation rate.................................... 62.9 72.2 74.9 74.4 62.1 73.1 74.2 75.6

Employed............................................. 4,534 3,777 1,867 1,870 4,433 3,835 1,863 2,082

Employment-population ratio.................... 60.3 69.8 72.4 72.4 59.6 71.1 72.4 73.5

Unemployed.......................................... 196 131 63 53 184 106 47 59

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.1 3.4 3.2 2.7 4.0 2.7 2.5 2.8

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,423 37,857 37,328 52,012 7,075 37,579 37,225 53,021

Civilian labor force..................................... 2,641 20,379 23,507 37,817 2,550 20,377 23,175 38,437

Participation rate.................................... 35.6 53.8 63.0 72.7 36.0 54.2 62.3 72.5

Employed............................................. 2,479 19,670 22,855 37,117 2,399 19,725 22,570 37,726

Employment-population ratio.................... 33.4 52.0 61.2 71.4 33.9 52.5 60.6 71.2

Unemployed.......................................... 162 708 652 700 151 652 606 711

Unemployment rate.............................. 6.1 3.5 2.8 1.9 5.9 3.2 2.6 1.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,427 7,487 6,713 5,555 2,315 7,571 6,820 5,708

Civilian labor force..................................... 782 4,340 4,571 4,259 759 4,326 4,632 4,373

Participation rate.................................... 32.2 58.0 68.1 76.7 32.8 57.1 67.9 76.6

Employed............................................. 684 4,029 4,324 4,146 668 4,035 4,427 4,256

Employment-population ratio.................... 28.2 53.8 64.4 74.6 28.9 53.3 64.9 74.6

Unemployed.......................................... 98 311 247 112 91 291 205 118

Unemployment rate.............................. 12.6 7.2 5.4 2.6 12.0 6.7 4.4 2.7

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 164 516 602 1,854 145 509 685 2,035

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, 2018-2019 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2018 2019

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..................................... 69 309 414 1,468 55 294 471 1,637

Participation rate.................................... 41.8 60.0 68.7 79.2 38.1 57.8 68.7 80.4

Employed............................................. 65 299 400 1,440 53 285 455 1,598

Employment-population ratio.................... 39.7 58.0 66.4 77.7 36.3 56.0 66.5 78.5

Unemployed.......................................... 4 10 14 28 3 9 15 39

Unemployment rate.............................. 5.1 3.4 3.3 1.9 4.9 3.2 3.3 2.4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,223 5,227 4,903 3,613 2,215 5,446 5,004 3,858

Civilian labor force..................................... 1,023 3,531 3,624 2,989 1,042 3,698 3,790 3,157

Participation rate.................................... 46.0 67.6 73.9 82.7 47.0 67.9 75.7 81.8

Employed............................................. 954 3,369 3,487 2,900 978 3,559 3,646 3,081

Employment-population ratio.................... 42.9 64.5 71.1 80.3 44.2 65.4 72.9 79.9

Unemployed.......................................... 69 162 137 88 64 139 144 76

Unemployment rate.............................. 6.8 4.6 3.8 3.0 6.1 3.8 3.8 2.4

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, 2019

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)....................................... 27,502 15,791 11,711 130,036 67,669 62,367

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........... 33.9 32.0 36.4 42.2 38.3 46.5

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations..................................................... 13.1 13.5 12.6 18.0 19.1 16.7

Management occupations.................................... 9.2 10.4 7.6 12.6 14.4 10.7

Business and financial operations occupations............ 3.9 3.1 5.0 5.3 4.7 6.0

Professional and related occupations.......................... 20.8 18.5 23.8 24.2 19.2 29.8

Computer and mathematical occupations.................. 5.2 6.6 3.2 3.0 4.3 1.6

Architecture and engineering occupations.................. 2.3 3.3 1.1 2.0 3.4 0.6

Life, physical, and social science occupations............. 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.9

Community and social service occupations................ 1.0 0.7 1.4 1.9 1.1 2.7

Legal occupations............................................. 0.6 0.4 0.8 1.4 1.3 1.5

Education, training, and library occupations................ 3.8 2.1 6.0 6.5 3.2 10.0

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations.................................................. 1.5 1.4 1.6 2.2 2.1 2.3

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations....... 5.2 2.8 8.5 6.3 2.9 10.1

Service occupations................................................ 22.5 15.9 31.4 16.0 13.2 19.0

Healthcare support occupations................................ 2.6 0.6 5.2 2.3 0.6 4.3

Protective service occupations................................. 0.9 1.3 0.4 2.2 3.3 1.0

Food preparation and serving related occupations.......... 6.7 6.0 7.7 5.0 4.2 5.9

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations..................................................... 7.6 6.3 9.4 2.8 3.5 2.1

Personal care and service occupations....................... 4.8 1.7 8.8 3.6 1.6 5.7

Sales and office occupations...................................... 15.5 12.0 20.2 22.4 16.6 28.6

Sales and related occupations.................................. 7.7 7.3 8.3 10.3 10.1 10.6

Office and administrative support occupations............... 7.8 4.7 11.9 12.0 6.5 18.0

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations........................................................ 13.4 21.8 2.0 8.2 15.0 0.9

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.................... 1.7 2.0 1.2 0.5 0.8 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations...................... 9.1 15.3 0.7 4.5 8.3 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations........... 2.6 4.4 0.2 3.2 5.9 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving

occupations........................................................ 14.7 18.2 10.0 11.2 16.9 5.0

Production occupations.......................................... 7.2 7.6 6.6 5.1 7.3 2.7

Transportation and material moving occupations............ 7.5 10.6 3.4 6.1 9.7 2.3

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, 2018-2019 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2018 2019

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.................. 20,627 $758 94,939 $910 83.3 21,007 $800 96,576 $941 85.0

Men........................................ 12,469 815 51,673 1,007 80.9 12,584 863 52,423 1,042 82.8

Women.................................... 8,158 678 43,266 810 83.7 8,423 719 44,154 841 85.5

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 993 522 9,436 551 94.7 987 564 9,778 583 96.7

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,668 752 24,207 819 91.8 4,682 797 24,894 854 93.3

35 to 44 years.............................. 5,803 802 20,648 1,035 77.5 5,704 864 21,078 1,083 79.8

45 to 54 years.............................. 5,215 779 20,351 1,059 73.6 5,491 815 19,899 1,102 74.0

55 to 64 years.............................. 3,154 774 16,430 1,035 74.8 3,293 815 16,773 1,065 76.5

65 years and over.......................... 795 733 3,867 977 75.0 850 749 4,155 964 77.7

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY1

White non-Hispanic or Latino............. 3,135 1,083 67,771 986 109.8 3,203 1,141 68,143 1,016 112.3

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 2,023 699 12,109 697 100.3 2,089 749 12,353 735 101.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............. 5,387 1,129 2,041 1,065 106.0 5,466 1,198 2,218 1,168 102.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................ 9,852 621 10,445 741 83.8 10,008 658 11,219 759 86.7

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 19,635 775 85,503 965 80.3 20,020 819 86,798 999 82.0

Less than a high school diploma. . . . .. 4,097 535 2,902 578 92.6 4,038 577 2,972 617 93.5

High school graduates, no college2

. .. 4,879 632 21,358 754 83.8 4,950 675 21,806 766 88.1

Some college or associate degree. . .. 3,125 755 24,350 837 90.2 3,093 779 24,185 868 89.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3......... 7,534 1,362 36,893 1,309 104.0 7,939 1,418 37,834 1,360 104.3

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, 2018-2019 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2018 2019

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................... 8,914 5,787 64.9 5,576 212 3.7 8,882 5,778 65.1 5,601 177 3.1

New England............ 1,976 1,372 69.4 1,318 54 3.9 1,976 1,379 69.8 1,335 44 3.2

Middle Atlantic.......... 6,938 4,416 63.6 4,258 158 3.6 6,906 4,399 63.7 4,266 133 3.0

South....................... 14,562 9,719 66.7 9,405 314 3.2 14,887 10,036 67.4 9,750 286 2.8

South Atlantic........... 8,633 5,766 66.8 5,583 183 3.2 8,913 6,016 67.5 5,836 181 3.0

East South Central. . . .. 748 510 68.2 492 18 3.6 733 496 67.7 483 13 2.6

West South Central. . .. 5,181 3,443 66.5 3,330 113 3.3 5,242 3,523 67.2 3,431 92 2.6

Midwest..................... 4,907 3,289 67.0 3,178 111 3.4 4,967 3,400 68.5 3,298 102 3.0

East North Central. . . .. 3,584 2,351 65.6 2,273 78 3.3 3,695 2,485 67.3 2,412 73 2.9

West North Central..... 1,323 938 70.9 905 33 3.5 1,272 915 71.9 886 29 3.2

West........................ 14,515 9,407 64.8 9,058 349 3.7 14,254 9,176 64.4 8,853 323 3.5

Mountain................. 2,766 1,850 66.9 1,788 62 3.3 2,683 1,795 66.9 1,738 58 3.2

Pacific.................... 11,749 7,558 64.3 7,270 287 3.8 11,571 7,381 63.8 7,115 266 3.6

NATIVE BORN

Northeast................... 36,657 22,937 62.6 21,996 941 4.1 36,371 22,881 62.9 21,993 888 3.9

New England............ 10,143 6,721 66.3 6,488 232 3.5 10,195 6,740 66.1 6,530 210 3.1

Middle Atlantic.......... 26,513 16,217 61.2 15,508 709 4.4 26,175 16,141 61.7 15,463 679 4.2

South....................... 82,746 50,181 60.6 48,209 1,972 3.9 83,418 50,697 60.8 48,848 1,849 3.6

South Atlantic........... 43,140 26,161 60.6 25,162 999 3.8 43,404 26,361 60.7 25,449 912 3.5

East South Central. . . .. 14,224 8,289 58.3 7,954 335 4.0 14,317 8,475 59.2 8,148 327 3.9

West South Central. . .. 25,382 15,731 62.0 15,093 638 4.1 25,697 15,861 61.7 15,251 610 3.8

Midwest..................... 48,821 31,589 64.7 30,415 1,174 3.7 48,918 31,707 64.8 30,548 1,159 3.7

East North Central. . . .. 33,510 21,324 63.6 20,452 872 4.1 33,484 21,273 63.5 20,440 833 3.9

West North Central..... 15,311 10,265 67.0 9,963 301 2.9 15,433 10,435 67.6 10,109 326 3.1

West........................ 46,669 29,164 62.5 27,923 1,241 4.3 47,478 29,863 62.9 28,648 1,215 4.1

Mountain................. 16,220 10,341 63.8 9,920 421 4.1 16,701 10,734 64.3 10,334 400 3.7

Pacific.................... 30,449 18,824 61.8 18,003 820 4.4 30,777 19,129 62.2 18,314 815 4.3

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.