For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, May 22, 2013 USDL-13-0991 

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 — 2012 

The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 8.1 percent in 2012, down 

from 9.1 percent in 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of nativeborn persons also fell to 8.1 percent in 2012, down from 8.9 percent in the prior year. 

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. 

Highlights from the 2012 data: 

 In 2012, there were 25.0 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 16.1 

percent of the total. (See table 1.) 

 Hispanics accounted for 48.3 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2012, and Asians 

accounted for 23.7 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; production, transportation, and material moving occupations; and natural resources, 

construction, and maintenance occupations. (See table 4.) 

 The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $625 

in 2012, compared with $797 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 characteristics of the foreign-born labor force differ from those of the native-born 

labor force. In 2012, men accounted for 57.6 percent of the foreign-born labor force, compared with 
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52.3 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 (75.6 percent) was higher than for the native-born labor force (63.4 percent). 

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

In 2012, nearly half (48.3 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and almost one-quarter 

(23.7 percent) was Asian, compared with 9.5 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, of the native-born 

labor force. About 18.2 percent of the foreign-born labor force was white and 8.7 percent was black, 

compared with 74.9 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. 

In terms of educational attainment, 24.6 percent of the foreign-born labor force 25 years old and over in 

2012 had not completed high school, compared with 5.1 percent of the native-born labor force. The 

foreign born were less likely than the native born to have some college or an associate degree—17.4 

percent versus 30.1 percent. Similar proportions of foreign-born and native-born persons in the labor 

force had a bachelor's degree or higher (33.0 percent and 36.7 percent, respectively). 

Labor Force 

The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 16.1 percent in 2012; it was 15.9 

percent in 2011. (See table 1.) 

In 2012, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was 66.3 percent, compared with 63.2 

percent for the native born. The labor force participation rate was 78.5 percent for foreign-born men and 

68.6 percent for native-born men. Among women, 54.8 percent of the foreign born were labor force 

participants, compared with 58.2 percent of the native born. 

Among the foreign born, the labor force participation rate for blacks was 70.6 percent in 2012, little 

different from the participation rate for Hispanics (69.0 percent). The participation rate for Asians was 

64.7 percent, while that for whites was 60.1 percent. Among the native born, the labor force 

participation rates for Hispanics and whites were 63.9 percent and 63.7 percent, respectively, higher than 

the rates for Asians (61.5 percent) and blacks (60.0 percent). The labor force participation rates for 

foreign-born blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were higher than for their native-born counterparts, while the 

rate for foreign-born whites was lower than the rate for native-born whites. 

In 2012, foreign-born mothers with children under 18 years old were less likely to be labor force 

participants than were native-born mothers—60.3 percent versus 73.1 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 52.1 percent in 2012, much lower than that for native-born 

mothers with children under age 6 at 68.1 percent. Among women with children under age 3, the 

participation rate for the foreign born (47.1 percent) was 17.8 percentage points below that for nativeborn mothers (64.9 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign- and native-born fathers with 

children under age 18 were similar, at 93.8 percent and 92.9 percent, respectively. (See table 2.) 

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West (23.9 percent) and in 

the Northeast (18.9 percent) than for the nation as a whole (16.1 percent) in 2012. In contrast, the 

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

(14.6 percent) and Midwest (8.2 percent). (See table 6.) 

 
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Unemployment 

From 2011 to 2012, the unemployment rate of foreign-born workers declined from 9.1 percent to 8.1 

percent. The unemployment rate for foreign-born men fell from 8.8 percent to 7.5 percent, and the rate 

for foreign-born women was down from 9.5 percent to 8.9 percent. Among the native born, the 

unemployment rate declined from 8.9 percent to 8.1 percent over the year. The rate for men fell from 9.5 

percent to 8.4 percent, while the rate for women was down from 8.3 percent to 7.7 percent. (See table 1.) 

Among the foreign born, Asians had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent in 2012, lower than the rates 

for whites (7.1 percent), blacks (11.1 percent), and Hispanics (9.1 percent). Among the native born, the 

jobless rate for blacks (14.3 percent) was higher than the rates for whites (6.6 percent), Asians 

(6.7 percent), and Hispanics (11.5 percent). The unemployment rates for foreign-born blacks, Asians, 

and Hispanics were lower than for their native-born counterparts, while the rates for foreign-born and 

native-born whites were little different. 

Occupation 

In 2012, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service 

occupations (25.2 percent versus 16.5 percent). Within service occupations, two-thirds of the foreign 

born were employed in food preparation and serving related occupations and in building and grounds 

cleaning and maintenance occupations, whereas one-half of native-born service workers were employed 

in those occupations. Foreign-born workers also were more likely than native-born workers to be 

employed in production, transportation, and material moving occupations (15.5 percent versus 11.2 

percent) and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations (12.7 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 (39.5 percent versus 30.0 percent), and in sales and office 

occupations (24.6 percent versus 16.5 percent). 

Employed foreign-born men were more likely than their native-born counterparts to work in natural 

resources, construction, and maintenance occupations, and in service occupations. Compared with 

native-born women workers, employed foreign-born women were more likely to be in service 

occupations and in production, transportation, and material moving occupations. The disparity was 

especially great in service occupations. Among employed women, 33.2 percent of the foreign born 

worked in service occupations in 2012, compared with 19.4 percent of the native born. Employed 

native-born women were more likely than employed foreign-born women to be in sales and office 

occupations, 32.0 percent versus 22.6 percent. 

Earnings 

In 2012, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers ($625) 

were 78.4 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($797). Among men, median 

earnings for the foreign born were $665 per week, while the native born earned $898 per week. The 

median usual weekly earnings for foreign-born women were $589, compared with $710 for native-born 

women. 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 78.1 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2012. For white, black, and Asian 

workers, earnings for the foreign born and the native born were similar within each group. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2012, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school education earned $428 per week, while those 

with a bachelor's degree and higher earned about 2.7 times as much—$1,164 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 education—$1,165 versus $510 per week. 

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

between the earnings of foreign-born and native-born workers closes at higher levels of education. For 

example, among high school graduates in 2012, full-time workers who were foreign born earned 81.5 

percent as much as their native-born counterparts. Among those with a bachelor's degree and higher, the 

earnings of foreign-born workers were essentially the same as the earnings of native-born workers. 
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,

2011-2012 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2011 2012

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239,618 153,617 64.1 139,869 13,747 8.9 243,284 154,975 63.7 142,469 12,506 8.1

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116,317 81,975 70.5 74,290 7,684 9.4 117,343 82,327 70.2 75,555 6,771 8.2

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123,300 71,642 58.1 65,579 6,063 8.5 125,941 72,648 57.7 66,914 5,734 7.9

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,420 24,391 67.0 22,183 2,208 9.1 37,727 25,026 66.3 23,006 2,021 8.1

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,090 14,379 79.5 13,120 1,260 8.8 18,365 14,424 78.5 13,342 1,082 7.5

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,331 10,012 54.6 9,063 949 9.5 19,362 10,602 54.8 9,663 939 8.9

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,631 1,971 54.3 1,695 276 14.0 3,724 1,905 51.2 1,632 273 14.3

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,562 5,758 76.1 5,255 503 8.7 7,674 5,840 76.1 5,373 468 8.0

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,492 6,843 80.6 6,301 542 7.9 8,710 6,997 80.3 6,518 479 6.8

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,089 5,799 81.8 5,274 525 9.1 7,509 6,071 80.9 5,622 449 7.4

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,737 3,161 66.7 2,870 290 9.2 5,021 3,332 66.4 3,051 282 8.5

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,909 860 17.5 788 72 8.3 5,089 880 17.3 810 70 8.0

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,617 4,583 60.2 4,237 346 7.6 7,595 4,564 60.1 4,242 322 7.1

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,002 2,137 71.2 1,870 267 12.5 3,068 2,166 70.6 1,925 241 11.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,306 5,449 65.6 5,086 363 6.7 9,146 5,919 64.7 5,582 337 5.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,132 11,963 69.8 10,751 1,212 10.1 17,507 12,087 69.0 10,988 1,099 9.1

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,790 22,420 68.4 20,488 1,932 8.6 34,002 23,121 68.0 21,374 1,747 7.6

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . 9,532 5,721 60.0 5,086 634 11.1 9,497 5,688 59.9 5,126 562 9.9

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 8,488 5,674 66.8 5,145 529 9.3 8,713 5,783 66.4 5,314 469 8.1

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . 5,389 3,927 72.9 3,584 343 8.7 5,670 4,028 71.0 3,713 315 7.8

Bachelor’s degree and higher3. . . . . . . . . . . . 9,381 7,098 75.7 6,673 425 6.0 10,122 7,621 75.3 7,221 401 5.3

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203,197 129,226 63.6 117,686 11,539 8.9 205,558 129,948 63.2 119,464 10,485 8.1

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98,228 67,595 68.8 61,170 6,425 9.5 98,979 67,903 68.6 62,213 5,690 8.4

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104,970 61,630 58.7 56,516 5,115 8.3 106,579 62,046 58.2 57,251 4,795 7.7

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,567 19,026 55.0 15,668 3,358 17.7 35,059 19,379 55.3 16,202 3,177 16.4

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,801 27,967 82.7 25,282 2,685 9.6 33,301 27,625 83.0 25,328 2,297 8.3

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,006 25,817 83.3 23,970 1,847 7.2 30,932 25,737 83.2 24,058 1,679 6.5

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,753 29,560 80.4 27,593 1,967 6.7 36,188 28,983 80.1 27,252 1,731 6.0

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,250 20,604 63.9 19,315 1,289 6.3 33,297 21,377 64.2 20,189 1,189 5.6

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,819 6,252 18.0 5,858 393 6.3 36,780 6,847 18.6 6,435 412 6.0

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153,541 98,751 64.3 91,609 7,142 7.2 152,742 97,328 63.7 90,949 6,379 6.6

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,911 14,973 60.1 12,526 2,447 16.3 25,137 15,089 60.0 12,925 2,164 14.3

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,917 1,793 61.5 1,647 147 8.2 3,277 2,014 61.5 1,880 134 6.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,306 10,934 63.2 9,518 1,417 13.0 19,252 12,304 63.9 10,890 1,414 11.5

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168,630 110,200 65.4 102,019 8,181 7.4 170,499 110,569 64.9 103,261 7,308 6.6

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . 15,590 5,878 37.7 4,881 998 17.0 15,384 5,640 36.7 4,797 843 14.9

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 53,444 31,670 59.3 28,679 2,992 9.4 53,099 30,988 58.4 28,404 2,584 8.3

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . 47,700 32,904 69.0 30,310 2,594 7.9 48,624 33,332 68.5 30,992 2,339 7.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 51,896 39,747 76.6 38,149 1,598 4.0 53,392 40,609 76.1 39,067 1,542 3.8

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, 2011-2012 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2011 2012

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 14,472 6,965 7,508 14,796 6,896 7,901

Civilian labor force................................................... 11,024 6,533 4,490 11,229 6,466 4,763

Participation rate................................................... 76.2 93.8 59.8 75.9 93.8 60.3

Employed........................................................... 10,062 6,032 4,030 10,378 6,063 4,315

Employment-population ratio.................................. 69.5 86.6 53.7 70.1 87.9 54.6

Unemployed........................................................ 961 501 460 851 403 448

Unemployment rate............................................. 8.7 7.7 10.2 7.6 6.2 9.4

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 7,484 3,474 4,010 7,896 3,576 4,319

Civilian labor force................................................... 5,941 3,215 2,725 6,223 3,326 2,897

Participation rate................................................... 79.4 92.6 68.0 78.8 93.0 67.1

Employed........................................................... 5,437 2,969 2,468 5,753 3,115 2,638

Employment-population ratio.................................. 72.6 85.5 61.5 72.9 87.1 61.1

Unemployed........................................................ 504 247 257 469 211 259

Unemployment rate............................................. 8.5 7.7 9.4 7.5 6.3 8.9

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 6,989 3,491 3,497 6,901 3,319 3,581

Civilian labor force................................................... 5,083 3,318 1,765 5,006 3,140 1,865

Participation rate................................................... 72.7 95.0 50.5 72.5 94.6 52.1

Employed........................................................... 4,625 3,063 1,562 4,625 2,948 1,677

Employment-population ratio.................................. 66.2 87.7 44.7 67.0 88.8 46.8

Unemployed........................................................ 457 255 203 381 192 189

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.0 7.7 11.5 7.6 6.1 10.1

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 3,961 2,019 1,942 3,828 1,864 1,964

Civilian labor force................................................... 2,802 1,925 877 2,697 1,772 925

Participation rate................................................... 70.8 95.4 45.2 70.5 95.1 47.1

Employed........................................................... 2,547 1,784 762 2,497 1,671 827

Employment-population ratio.................................. 64.3 88.4 39.3 65.2 89.6 42.1

Unemployed........................................................ 256 141 115 200 101 98

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.1 7.3 13.1 7.4 5.7 10.6

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 21,948 11,125 10,823 22,930 11,469 11,461

Civilian labor force................................................... 13,368 7,846 5,521 13,797 7,958 5,840

Participation rate................................................... 60.9 70.5 51.0 60.2 69.4 51.0

Employed........................................................... 12,121 7,088 5,033 12,628 7,279 5,348

Employment-population ratio.................................. 55.2 63.7 46.5 55.1 63.5 46.7

Unemployed........................................................ 1,247 758 489 1,170 679 491

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.3 9.7 8.9 8.5 8.5 8.4

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 51,190 22,218 28,972 50,823 22,048 28,776

Civilian labor force................................................... 41,879 20,675 21,204 41,525 20,488 21,037

Participation rate................................................... 81.8 93.1 73.2 81.7 92.9 73.1

Employed........................................................... 38,703 19,357 19,346 38,723 19,397 19,326

Employment-population ratio.................................. 75.6 87.1 66.8 76.2 88.0 67.2

Unemployed........................................................ 3,176 1,318 1,858 2,802 1,091 1,711

Unemployment rate............................................. 7.6 6.4 8.8 6.7 5.3 8.1

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 27,961 12,194 15,767 27,890 12,200 15,690

Civilian labor force................................................... 23,584 11,271 12,314 23,350 11,219 12,131

Participation rate................................................... 84.3 92.4 78.1 83.7 92.0 77.3

Employed........................................................... 22,037 10,627 11,410 21,969 10,676 11,293

Employment-population ratio.................................. 78.8 87.1 72.4 78.8 87.5 72.0
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, 2011-2012 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2011 2012

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed........................................................ 1,548 644 903 1,382 544 838

Unemployment rate............................................. 6.6 5.7 7.3 5.9 4.8 6.9

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 23,229 10,024 13,205 22,933 9,847 13,086

Civilian labor force................................................... 18,295 9,404 8,891 18,175 9,268 8,907

Participation rate................................................... 78.8 93.8 67.3 79.3 94.1 68.1

Employed........................................................... 16,666 8,730 7,936 16,754 8,721 8,034

Employment-population ratio.................................. 71.7 87.1 60.1 73.1 88.6 61.4

Unemployed........................................................ 1,629 674 955 1,421 548 873

Unemployment rate............................................. 8.9 7.2 10.7 7.8 5.9 9.8

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 13,655 5,932 7,723 13,293 5,718 7,575

Civilian labor force................................................... 10,536 5,567 4,969 10,314 5,400 4,914

Participation rate................................................... 77.2 93.8 64.3 77.6 94.4 64.9

Employed........................................................... 9,577 5,160 4,418 9,494 5,075 4,419

Employment-population ratio.................................. 70.1 87.0 57.2 71.4 88.8 58.3

Unemployed........................................................ 958 407 551 821 325 496

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.1 7.3 11.1 8.0 6.0 10.1

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 152,007 76,010 75,998 154,734 76,931 77,803

Civilian labor force................................................... 87,346 46,920 40,426 88,423 47,415 41,008

Participation rate................................................... 57.5 61.7 53.2 57.1 61.6 52.7

Employed........................................................... 78,983 41,814 37,170 80,741 42,817 37,924

Employment-population ratio.................................. 52.0 55.0 48.9 52.2 55.7 48.7

Unemployed........................................................ 8,363 5,107 3,256 7,683 4,599 3,084

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.6 10.9 8.1 8.7 9.7 7.5

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, 2011-2012 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2011 2012

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....................... 815 1,884 1,407 2,935 789 1,778 1,434 3,019

Civilian labor force....................................... 274 978 899 2,144 256 932 879 2,200

Participation rate...................................... 33.6 51.9 63.9 73.0 32.4 52.4 61.3 72.9

Employed.............................................. 243 897 832 2,019 233 864 818 2,078

Employment-population ratio..................... 29.9 47.6 59.1 68.8 29.6 48.6 57.0 68.8

Unemployed........................................... 30 81 67 125 23 68 61 122

Unemployment rate................................ 11.1 8.3 7.4 5.8 8.9 7.3 6.9 5.5

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 391 810 709 752 368 812 693 813

Civilian labor force....................................... 204 594 578 614 182 591 544 680

Participation rate...................................... 52.1 73.3 81.5 81.6 49.5 72.7 78.5 83.7

Employed.............................................. 163 516 512 556 153 520 488 631

Employment-population ratio..................... 41.7 63.7 72.2 74.0 41.6 64.0 70.4 77.7

Unemployed........................................... 41 78 66 57 29 71 56 49

Unemployment rate................................ 19.9 13.2 11.4 9.3 16.0 12.0 10.3 7.2

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 955 1,628 1,149 3,892 978 1,658 1,306 4,364

Civilian labor force....................................... 404 1,014 807 2,936 438 1,011 894 3,251

Participation rate...................................... 42.3 62.3 70.3 75.4 44.8 61.0 68.5 74.5

Employed.............................................. 366 935 749 2,785 407 949 837 3,104

Employment-population ratio..................... 38.3 57.4 65.2 71.6 41.6 57.2 64.1 71.1

Unemployed........................................... 39 79 58 150 31 62 57 147

Unemployment rate................................ 9.6 7.8 7.2 5.1 7.1 6.2 6.4 4.5

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 7,331 4,072 2,052 1,687 7,319 4,360 2,147 1,798

Civilian labor force....................................... 4,815 3,032 1,586 1,309 4,789 3,175 1,642 1,386

Participation rate...................................... 65.7 74.4 77.3 77.6 65.4 72.8 76.5 77.1

Employed.............................................. 4,294 2,746 1,437 1,221 4,312 2,911 1,507 1,308

Employment-population ratio..................... 58.6 67.4 70.0 72.4 58.9 66.8 70.2 72.8

Unemployed........................................... 521 286 149 88 476 263 134 78

Unemployment rate................................ 10.8 9.4 9.4 6.7 9.9 8.3 8.2 5.6

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 9,841 41,003 36,755 44,100 9,533 40,294 36,922 44,806

Civilian labor force....................................... 3,609 23,710 24,997 33,543 3,372 22,863 24,868 33,777

Participation rate...................................... 36.7 57.8 68.0 76.1 35.4 56.7 67.4 75.4

Employed.............................................. 3,103 21,813 23,315 32,316 2,946 21,234 23,363 32,596

Employment-population ratio..................... 31.5 53.2 63.4 73.3 30.9 52.7 63.3 72.7

Unemployed........................................... 506 1,897 1,682 1,226 426 1,629 1,505 1,182

Unemployment rate................................ 14.0 8.0 6.7 3.7 12.6 7.1 6.1 3.5

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 2,924 7,075 5,924 3,866 2,799 7,000 6,097 4,068

Civilian labor force....................................... 1,015 4,297 4,188 3,013 910 4,204 4,275 3,157

Participation rate...................................... 34.7 60.7 70.7 77.9 32.5 60.1 70.1 77.6

Employed.............................................. 745 3,613 3,635 2,810 703 3,626 3,793 2,966

Employment-population ratio..................... 25.5 51.1 61.4 72.7 25.1 51.8 62.2 72.9

Unemployed........................................... 270 684 553 203 207 578 482 191

Unemployment rate................................ 26.6 15.9 13.2 6.7 22.7 13.7 11.3 6.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 119 397 451 1,090 135 397 474 1,237

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, 2011-2012 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2011 2012

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....................................... 46 221 317 862 52 222 350 979

Participation rate...................................... 39.0 55.8 70.3 79.1 38.6 56.0 73.8 79.1

Employed.............................................. 41 207 292 814 49 210 323 944

Employment-population ratio..................... 34.9 52.1 64.8 74.7 36.6 52.8 68.2 76.3

Unemployed........................................... 5 15 25 48 3 13 27 34

Unemployment rate................................ 10.4 6.7 7.8 5.6 5.0 5.7 7.6 3.5

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 2,281 3,927 3,414 2,074 2,461 4,273 3,831 2,413

Civilian labor force....................................... 1,043 2,781 2,628 1,722 1,131 2,993 2,942 1,998

Participation rate...................................... 45.7 70.8 77.0 83.0 46.0 70.0 76.8 82.8

Employed.............................................. 862 2,470 2,393 1,636 957 2,702 2,708 1,902

Employment-population ratio..................... 37.8 62.9 70.1 78.9 38.9 63.2 70.7 78.8

Unemployed........................................... 181 311 235 86 174 291 234 96

Unemployment rate................................ 17.4 11.2 8.9 5.0 15.4 9.7 8.0 4.8

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, 2012

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)........................................ 23,006 13,342 9,663 119,464 62,213 57,251

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............ 30.0 28.0 32.8 39.5 36.1 43.1

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations...................................................... 11.6 11.7 11.6 16.7 18.0 15.3

Management occupations...................................... 8.1 9.0 6.9 11.9 13.9 9.6

Business and financial operations occupations............. 3.5 2.7 4.6 4.9 4.1 5.7

Professional and related occupations........................... 18.4 16.3 21.2 22.7 18.1 27.7

Computer and mathematical occupations................... 3.8 5.0 2.1 2.5 3.5 1.4

Architecture and engineering occupations................... 2.2 3.3 0.8 2.0 3.2 0.5

Life, physical, and social science occupations.............. 1.0 1.0 1.1 0.9 1.0 0.9

Community and social service occupations................. 0.8 0.6 1.1 1.7 1.2 2.3

Legal occupations............................................... 0.5 0.3 0.7 1.4 1.4 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations................. 3.7 2.2 5.8 6.4 3.2 10.0

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations................................................... 1.4 1.2 1.6 2.1 2.1 2.1

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations.......... 5.0 2.7 8.1 5.7 2.6 9.1

Service occupations.................................................. 25.2 19.5 33.2 16.5 13.7 19.4

Healthcare support occupations................................. 2.7 0.6 5.6 2.4 0.6 4.4

Protective service occupations................................... 1.0 1.4 0.4 2.4 3.6 1.1

Food preparation and serving related occupations............ 8.0 7.7 8.3 5.2 4.2 6.2

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations...................................................... 8.6 7.8 9.8 3.0 3.8 2.1

Personal care and service occupations......................... 4.9 2.0 9.0 3.4 1.5 5.6

Sales and office occupations....................................... 16.5 12.1 22.6 24.6 17.7 32.0

Sales and related occupations................................... 8.4 7.5 9.7 11.3 11.1 11.5

Office and administrative support occupations................. 8.1 4.6 12.9 13.3 6.6 20.5

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations......................................................... 12.7 21.0 1.4 8.3 15.2 0.7

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations..................... 1.8 2.3 1.1 0.5 0.7 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations....................... 8.0 13.5 0.2 4.3 8.1 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............. 3.0 5.1 0.1 3.5 6.4 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations... 15.5 19.4 10.1 11.2 17.2 4.8

Production occupations........................................... 8.4 9.1 7.3 5.5 7.9 2.9

Transportation and material moving occupations.............. 7.1 10.2 2.8 5.8 9.4 1.9

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, 2011-2012 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2011 2012

Foreign born Native born

Earnings

of foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born1

Foreign born Native born Earnings

of foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born1

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Total, 16 years and over.................. 16,441 $ 609 84,015 $ 780 78.0 17,089 $ 625 85,659 $ 797 78.4

Men....................................... 10,177 624 45,794 879 71.0 10,385 665 46,901 898 74.1

Women................................... 6,264 585 38,222 701 83.5 6,704 589 38,758 710 82.9

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 1,081 405 7,643 448 90.3 994 403 8,036 452 89.2

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,120 569 20,177 718 79.3 4,275 591 20,310 729 81.1

35 to 44 years.............................. 4,812 671 18,970 875 76.7 4,972 692 19,112 897 77.1

45 to 54 years.............................. 3,962 680 21,172 899 75.6 4,267 683 21,079 913 74.8

55 to 64 years.............................. 2,039 662 13,602 910 72.8 2,142 667 14,376 929 71.8

65 years and over......................... 429 621 2,452 760 81.8 439 628 2,747 778 80.7

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY2

White non-Hispanic or Latino............ 2,876 883 64,359 837 105.5 2,906 898 64,284 857 104.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 1,467 614 9,638 617 99.5 1,459 640 10,002 623 102.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............ 3,876 868 1,226 878 98.8 4,213 922 1,385 937 98.4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............... 8,044 489 7,103 636 77.0 8,316 501 7,986 641 78.1

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 15,361 628 76,373 831 75.6 16,095 652 77,623 851 76.7

Less than a high school diploma. . . .. 3,822 417 3,197 497 83.9 3,879 428 3,131 510 84.0

High school graduates, no college3

.. 3,828 530 21,328 661 80.2 3,899 550 21,339 675 81.5

Some college or associate degree. .. 2,580 665 22,625 746 89.2 2,702 673 23,124 758 88.8

Bachelor’s degree and higher4....... 5,131 1,148 29,222 1,151 99.8 5,615 1,164 30,029 1,165 100.0

1 These figures are computed using unrounded medians and may differ slightly from percents computed using the rounded medians displayed in this table.

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

3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

4 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, 2011-2012 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2011 2012

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.................... 7,997 5,218 65.3 4,816 402 7.7 8,239 5,372 65.2 4,958 414 7.7

New England............. 1,525 1,025 67.2 946 78 7.7 1,602 1,094 68.3 1,017 78 7.1

Middle Atlantic........... 6,471 4,194 64.8 3,870 323 7.7 6,637 4,278 64.5 3,941 336 7.9

South........................ 11,490 7,886 68.6 7,216 669 8.5 12,201 8,269 67.8 7,683 586 7.1

South Atlantic............ 6,722 4,622 68.8 4,202 420 9.1 7,166 4,839 67.5 4,476 363 7.5

East South Central. . . . .. 575 423 73.5 380 43 10.1 621 452 72.7 409 42 9.3

West South Central. . . .. 4,193 2,841 67.8 2,634 207 7.3 4,414 2,979 67.5 2,798 181 6.1

Midwest...................... 4,039 2,732 67.6 2,509 223 8.2 4,148 2,815 67.9 2,625 190 6.8

East North Central. . . . .. 3,077 2,045 66.5 1,878 167 8.2 3,097 2,071 66.9 1,923 148 7.2

West North Central...... 962 687 71.4 631 56 8.1 1,051 744 70.8 702 42 5.6

West......................... 12,895 8,555 66.3 7,641 914 10.7 13,138 8,570 65.2 7,740 830 9.7

Mountain.................. 2,257 1,517 67.2 1,368 149 9.8 2,296 1,523 66.3 1,384 139 9.2

Pacific..................... 10,638 7,038 66.2 6,273 765 10.9 10,842 7,047 65.0 6,356 690 9.8

NATIVE BORN

Northeast.................... 36,032 22,936 63.7 21,042 1,894 8.3 36,134 23,002 63.7 21,080 1,922 8.4

New England............. 10,080 6,716 66.6 6,193 522 7.8 10,066 6,619 65.8 6,134 485 7.3

Middle Atlantic........... 25,952 16,220 62.5 14,848 1,372 8.5 26,068 16,383 62.8 14,946 1,437 8.8

South........................ 76,459 47,613 62.3 43,387 4,226 8.9 77,812 48,226 62.0 44,476 3,749 7.8

South Atlantic............ 39,759 24,741 62.2 22,449 2,292 9.3 40,468 25,090 62.0 23,002 2,088 8.3

East South Central. . . . .. 13,645 8,284 60.7 7,489 796 9.6 13,802 8,224 59.6 7,565 659 8.0

West South Central. . . .. 23,055 14,588 63.3 13,449 1,139 7.8 23,541 14,912 63.3 13,909 1,003 6.7

Midwest...................... 48,066 31,586 65.7 28,939 2,647 8.4 48,264 31,403 65.1 29,079 2,324 7.4

East North Central. . . . .. 33,149 21,261 64.1 19,285 1,976 9.3 33,277 21,191 63.7 19,443 1,748 8.2

West North Central...... 14,917 10,325 69.2 9,653 672 6.5 14,988 10,212 68.1 9,636 577 5.6

West......................... 42,640 27,090 63.5 24,319 2,771 10.2 43,348 27,318 63.0 24,828 2,490 9.1

Mountain.................. 14,783 9,533 64.5 8,694 839 8.8 14,824 9,476 63.9 8,749 727 7.7

Pacific..................... 27,856 17,557 63.0 15,625 1,932 11.0 28,524 17,842 62.6 16,080 1,762 9.9

NOTE: The states (plus the Distric 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, Distric 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.