Table 9. Percent distribution of the civilian labor force 25 to 64 years of age by 

educational attainment and sex, 1970–2009

High school College

Less than 4 

years

4 years, no 

college 1 to 3 years 4 years or more

1970 ............... 61,765 100.0 36.1 38.1 11.8 14.1

1971............... 62,344 100.0 34.5 38.4 12.3 14.8

1972............... 63,704 100.0 33.3 38.8 12.4 15.5

1973............... 64,775 100.0 30.9 39.7 13.0 16.4

1974............... 66,527 100.0 29.3 39.5 13.7 17.5

1975............... 67,774 100.0 27.5 39.7 14.4 18.3

1976............... 69,243 100.0 25.8 39.6 15.2 19.4

1977............... 71,324 100.0 24.9 39.2 15.7 20.2

1978............... 73,504 100.0 23.7 39.2 16.5 20.6

1979............... 75,781 100.0 21.8 39.5 17.3 21.3

1980............... 78,010 100.0 20.6 39.8 17.6 22.0

1981............... 80,273 100.0 19.7 40.6 17.7 22.0

1982............... 81,516 100.0 18.8 40.8 17.3 23.1

1983................ 83,615 100.0 17.8 39.9 18.1 24.2

1984................ 86,001 100.0 16.7 40.2 18.4 24.7

1985............... 88,424 100.0 15.9 40.2 19.0 24.9

1986............... 90,500 100.0 15.5 40.2 19.5 24.8

1987............... 92,966 100.0 14.9 40.2 19.7 25.3

1988................ 94,870 100.0 14.7 39.9 19.7 25.7

1989............... 97,318 100.0 14.0 39.6 20.0 26.4

1990................ 99,175 100.0 13.4 39.5 20.7 26.4

1991............... 100,480 100.0 13.0 39.4 21.1 26.5

Year

Civilian labor 

force 

(thousands)

Percent distribution

Total

Total, both sexes

1

,

Total

Less than a 

high school 

diploma

High school 

graduates, 

no college

Some 

college, no 

degree, or 

associate's 

degree

College 

graduates

19922............... 103,018 100.0 12.1 35.7 25.6 26.6

1993............... 104,237 100.0 11.3 35.1 26.6 27.0

1994............... 105,610 100.0 10.8 33.9 27.7 27.6

1995................ 107,032 100.0 10.4 33.2 28.1 28.3

1996............... 108,932 100.0 10.6 32.9 27.8 28.7

1997................ 110,945 100.0 10.6 32.9 27.5 29.0

1998................ 111,932 100.0 10.5 32.4 27.4 29.8

1999............... 113,095 100.0 10.0 31.8 27.6 30.5

2000............... 115,750 100.0 10.1 31.4 27.8 30.7

2001............... 116,893 100.0 10.1 30.9 28.0 31.0

2002............... 118,028 100.0 10.0 30.7 27.7 31.6

2003................ 119,621 100.0 9.9 30.3 27.6 32.1

2004............... 120,135 100.0 9.7 30.1 27.7 32.4

2005............... 121,752 100.0 9.8 29.9 27.8 32.5

2006............... 123,550 100.0 9.7 29.6 27.7 33.0

2007............... 125,104 100.0 9.3 29.2 27.7 33.8

2008............... 126,011 100.0 9.0 28.8 28.0 34.2

2009............... 126,247 100.0 9.0 28.6 28.0 34.4

 See footnotes at end of table.

Total, both sexes

Year

Civilian labor 

force 

(thousands)

Percent distribution

1

22
Table 9. Percent distribution of the civilian labor force 25 to 64 years of age by 

educational attainment and sex, 1970–2009—Continued

High school College

Less than 4 

years

4 years, no 

college 1 to 3 years 4 years or more

1970 ............... 22,462 100.0 33.5 44.3 10.9 11.2

1971............... 22,804 100.0 32.2 44.2 11.9 11.8

1972............... 23,606 100.0 30.7 45.1 11.8 12.4

1973............... 24,158 100.0 28.4 45.9 12.4 13.3

1974............... 25,203 100.0 26.7 45.3 13.4 14.6

1975............... 26,146 100.0 26.5 45.5 13.9 14.1

1976............... 27,166 100.0 24.0 45.1 14.7 16.2

1977............... 28,369 100.0 22.8 45.1 15.2 16.9

1978............... 29,738 100.0 22.0 44.9 16.1 17.0

1979............... 31,151 100.0 20.1 45.0 17.1 17.8

1980............... 32,593 100.0 18.4 45.4 17.4 18.7

1981............... 33,910 100.0 17.4 46.1 17.9 18.6

1982............... 34,870 100.0 16.6 45.6 18.3 19.5

1983................ 35,712 100.0 15.6 44.8 18.8 20.9

1984................ 37,234 100.0 14.5 44.9 18.9 21.7

1985............... 38,779 100.0 13.7 44.4 19.9 22.0

1986............... 39,767 100.0 13.2 44.3 20.3 22.2

1987............... 41,105 100.0 12.5 44.0 20.7 22.8

1988................ 42,254 100.0 12.4 43.3 21.2 23.1

1989............... 43,650 100.0 11.9 42.9 20.9 24.3

1990................ 44,699 100.0 11.3 42.4 21.9 24.5

1991............... 45,315 100.0 10.9 41.6 22.2 25.2

Year

Civilian labor 

force 

(thousands)

Percent distribution

Total

Women

1

,

Total

Less than a 

high school 

diploma

High school 

graduates, 

no college

Some 

college, no 

degree, or 

associate's 

degree

College 

graduates

19922............... 46,589 100.0 10.3 37.4 27.3 25.0

1993............... 47,245 100.0 9.3 36.6 28.4 25.7

1994............... 48,405 100.0 9.0 35.0 29.8 26.2

1995................ 49,247 100.0 8.8 34.1 30.2 26.9

1996............... 50,240 100.0 8.8 33.6 29.9 27.8

1997................ 51,261 100.0 8.7 33.5 29.4 28.4

1998................ 51,678 100.0 8.8 32.7 29.4 29.2

1999............... 52,525 100.0 8.5 32.1 29.5 29.9

2000............... 53,749 100.0 8.5 31.6 29.8 30.1

2001............... 54,229 100.0 8.4 31.0 30.2 30.4

2002............... 54,710 100.0 8.1 30.6 29.9 31.3

2003................ 55,596 100.0 7.9 30.0 29.9 32.2

2004............... 55,616 100.0 7.7 29.4 30.2 32.6

2005............... 56,322 100.0 7.7 28.7 30.2 33.3

2006............... 57,201 100.0 7.6 28.3 30.2 33.9

2007............... 57,791 100.0 7.1 27.9 30.1 34.9

2008............... 58,465 100.0 6.9 27.2 30.4 35.6

2009............... 58,787 100.0 7.0 26.7 30.3 36.0

 See footnotes at end of table.

Year

Civilian labor 

force 

(thousands)

Percent distribution

Women

1

23
Table 9. Percent distribution of the civilian labor force 25 to 64 years of age by 

educational attainment and sex, 1970–2009—Continued

High school College

Less than 4 

years

4 years, no 

college 1 to 3 years 4 years or more

1970 ............... 39,303 100.0 37.5 34.5 12.2 15.7

1971............... 39,539 100.0 35.9 35.1 12.5 16.5

1972............... 40,098 100.0 34.8 35.1 12.8 17.3

1973............... 40,617 100.0 32.4 36.0 13.4 18.2

1974............... 41,344 100.0 30.8 36.0 13.9 19.3

1975............... 41,628 100.0 28.9 36.1 14.8 20.2

1976............... 42,077 100.0 27.0 36.0 15.5 21.5

1977............... 42,954 100.0 26.3 35.3 16.1 22.3

1978............... 43,766 100.0 24.8 35.3 16.9 23.0

1979............... 44,630 100.0 23.0 35.7 17.5 23.8

1980............... 45,417 100.0 22.2 35.7 17.7 24.3

1981............... 46,363 100.0 21.5 36.5 17.4 24.6

1982............... 47,144 100.0 20.3 36.8 17.5 25.5

1983................ 47,903 100.0 19.4 36.3 17.7 26.6

1984................ 48,767 100.0 18.4 36.7 18.0 26.9

1985............... 49,647 100.0 17.7 36.9 18.3 27.1

1986............... 50,733 100.0 17.2 37.0 18.9 26.9

1987............... 51,860 100.0 16.8 37.1 18.9 27.2

1988................ 52,616 100.0 16.5 37.3 18.5 27.8

1989............... 53,668 100.0 15.7 36.9 19.2 28.2

1990................ 54,476 100.0 15.1 37.2 19.7 28.0

1991............... 55,165 100.0 14.7 37.5 20.2 27.6

Year

Men

Civilian labor 

force 

(thousands)

Percent distribution

Total

1

,

 See footnotes at end of table.

24
Table 9. Percent distribution of the civilian labor force 25 to 64 years of age by 

educational attainment and sex, 1970–2009—Continued

Total

Less than a 

high school 

diploma

High school 

graduates, 

no college

Some 

college, no 

degree, or 

associate's 

degree

College 

graduates

19922............... 56,428 100.0 13.7 34.2 24.3 27.8

1993............... 56,992 100.0 12.9 33.9 25.1 28.1

1994............... 57,205 100.0 12.4 33.0 25.9 28.8

1995................ 57,784 100.0 11.8 32.4 26.3 29.4

1996............... 58,692 100.0 12.2 32.3 26.1 29.4

1997................ 59,684 100.0 12.2 32.4 25.9 29.6

1998................ 60,255 100.0 12.0 32.1 25.6 30.3

1999............... 60,570 100.0 11.4 31.6 26.0 31.0

2000............... 62,001 100.0 11.5 31.2 26.1 31.2

2001............... 62,664 100.0 11.5 30.9 26.2 31.4

2002............... 63,318 100.0 11.6 30.8 25.8 31.8

2003................ 64,025 100.0 11.7 30.6 25.6 32.1

2004............... 64,519 100.0 11.5 30.7 25.6 32.3

2005............... 65,430 100.0 11.5 30.9 25.7 31.9

2006............... 66,350 100.0 11.5 30.6 25.5 32.3

2007............... 67,313 100.0 11.2 30.4 25.6 32.9

2008............... 67,546 100.0 10.9 30.2 25.9 33.0

2009............... 67,460 100.0 10.8 30.3 25.9 33.0

Men

Year

Civilian labor 

force 

(thousands)

Percent distribution

1 Data from 1970-1991 are from the March Current Population Survey. The educational attainment

categories for these years were based on the number of years of school completed.

2 Data beginning in 1992 are annual averages and the educational attainment categories are based on

1 Data from 1970-1991 are from the March Current Population Survey. The educational attainment

categories for these years were based on the number of years of school completed.

2 Data beginning in 1992 are annual averages, and the educational attainment categories are based on

the highest diploma or degree received.

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

25