1

Technical information: (202) 691-6378

 http://www.bls.gov/cps/

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 04-2402

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Wednesday, December 1, 2004

LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS OF FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS IN 2003

In 2003, foreign-born workers made up about 14 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force age 16 and

over, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. About 21.1 million, or

67.4 percent of the foreign born, were in the labor force, compared with 66.1 percent of the native born.

The unemployment rates for the foreign born and native born in 2003 were 6.6 and 5.9 percent, respectively,

both slightly higher than in 2002.

This news release compares the labor force characteristics of the foreign born with those of their nativeborn counterparts. These data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a

monthly sample survey of households that is the primary source of information on the nation’s labor force.

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. For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note.

Demographic Characteristics

The demographic characteristics of the foreign-born labor force differ significantly in many respects

from those of the native born. For example, men made up a larger proportion of the foreign-born labor

force (60 percent) in 2003 than they did of the native-born labor force (52 percent). Also, the proportion

of the foreign-born labor force made up of those of prime working age (25- to 54-year olds) is higher than

for their native-born counterparts (76 and 69 percent, respectively). (See table 1.)

A much higher proportion of the foreign-born than the native-born labor force resided in the West

region—37 and 20 percent, respectively, in 2003. About 36 percent of the native-born labor force lived

in the South and 26 percent resided in the Midwest, compared with 30 and 11 percent, respectively, of the

foreign born. (See table 6.)

About 48 percent of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic or Latino, and 22 percent was Asian,

compared with only about 7 and 1 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. Just 1 out of 5

of the foreign-born labor force was white, compared with nearly 4 out of 5 of the native-born labor force.

(Data in this release are presented for non-Hispanic whites, blacks, and Asians and for persons of Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity. See the Technical Note for more information.) (See table 1.)

In terms of educational attainment, nearly 30 percent of the foreign-born labor force 25 years old and

over had not completed high school, compared with only about 7 percent of the native-born labor force.

About equal proportions of both the foreign and native born had a college degree (31 and 32 percent,

respectively).
2

Labor Force Participation

In 2003, foreign-born men were more likely to be labor force participants (80.6 percent) than their native-born counterparts (72.3 percent). In contrast, foreign-born women were less likely to be labor force

participants than native-born women—54.2 versus 60.4 percent. For men as well as women, the differences

held across age groups. (See table 1.)

The labor force participation rate for foreign-born women with children under age 18 was 59.6 percent

in 2003, compared with 73.6 percent for native-born mothers. Among women with children under age 3,

the participation rate for the foreign born was 44.7 percent, while that for the native born was 62.3 percent.

About 95 percent of both foreign- and native-born fathers with children under 3 were in the labor force.

(See table 2.)

Foreign-born blacks, Asians, and Hispanics or Latinos were more likely to be in the labor force

than their native-born counterparts. Among the foreign born, the labor force participation rate for whites

(59.9 percent) was lower than for blacks (74.5 percent), Asians (67.2 percent), and Hispanics or Latinos

(69.9 percent). The lower labor force participation rate for foreign-born whites is due, in part, to their older age profile. (See table 1.)

The labor force participation rate of the foreign born 25 years old and over who had not completed

high school (60.9 percent) was higher than that for their native-born counterparts (37.6 percent). Among

high school graduates who did not attend college, the participation rate for the foreign born also was higher

than that for the native born. The difference in participation rates between the native born with a high school

education or less and their foreign-born counterparts was partly because the native born with these levels of

education tended to be older, on average, than the foreign born. At the upper end of the educational scale,

however, the participation rate for foreign-born college graduates was 76.5 percent, about the same as the

rate for the native born—78.5 percent. (See table 1.)

The participation rate of the foreign born without a high school diploma was much higher than that for the

native born with the same level of education among blacks and Hispanics or Latinos. In comparison, among

college graduates, the participation rates of foreign-born whites, Asians, and Hispanics or Latinos were lower

than those of their native-born counterparts. However, foreign-born blacks with college degrees were more

likely to participate in the labor force than their native-born counterparts. (See table 3.)

Unemployment

In 2003, unemployment rates of foreign- and native-born men were about the same—6.2 and 6.3

percent, respectively. Among women, however, the jobless rate of the foreign born was 7.1 percent,

compared with 5.5 percent for the native born. Overall, the unemployment rates of the foreign born in

most of the major age groups tended to be higher than the rates for the native born; the exception was

16- to 24-year olds, where the rate for the foreign born was somewhat lower. (See table 1.)

The unemployment rates for the foreign born were higher than those for their native-born counterparts for

most levels of education. Among those without a high school diploma, however, the foreign born were less

likely to be unemployed than the native born.

Occupation

Foreign-born workers were concentrated in service occupations (23 percent) and in production, transportation, and material moving occupations (18 percent) in 2003. By way of comparison, the proportions

of native-born workers employed in these occupations were 15 and 12 percent, respectively. In 2003,
3

17 and 10 percent, respectively, of foreign-born workers were employed in professional and related occupations and in management, business, and financial operations occupations, compared with proportions

of 21 and 15 percent for the native born. (See table 4.)

Foreign-born men were more likely than native-born men to be employed in service; natural resources,

construction, and maintenance; and production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Compared

with native-born women, foreign-born women were more likely to be employed in service and in production,

transportation, and material moving occupations. Both foreign-born men and women workers were less

likely to be employed in professional and related occupations and in sales and office occupations than their

native-born counterparts.

Earnings

In 2003, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were

$489 compared with $643 for the native born. Among the men, the median earnings for the foreign born

were $503 per week, compared with $732 for the native born. Similarly, the median for foreign-born women was $459, compared with $567 for the native born. As with the native born, the earnings of the foreign born increased with education. The foreign born age 25 and over with less than a high school education earned $369 per week in 2003, while the earnings of those with college degrees were more than twice

as much—$909 a week. (See table 5.)
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 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).

In January 2003, the Census Bureau introduced a large

upward adjustment to the population controls for the CPS as

part of its annual update of population estimates. This

adjustment increased estimates for all population and labor

force categories. Consequently, estimated levels for 2003 are

not strictly comparable with those for 2002. The upward

adjustments in labor force levels, however, had only negligible

effects on ratios such as the labor force participation rate and

the employment-population ratio. In addition, there were

several other significant changes introduced into the CPS in

January 2003 that affected the data presented in this release.

For a detailed discussion of these changes, see “Revisions to

the Current Population Survey Effective in January 2003” in the

February 2003 issue of Employment and Earnings and available

at http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf on the BLS Web site.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200,

TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.

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 exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending upon the particular sample selected, and this

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.

For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS

and information on estimating standard errors, see the

“Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error” section of

Employment and Earnings.

Concepts and definitions

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 legallyadmitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such

as students and temporary workers, and undocumented

immigrants.

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 the

data on race and ethnicity in this release differs from that which

appears in most analyses of CPS labor force data in that 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 (a) all those who, during

the survey reference week, did any work at all as paid

employees, worked in their own business, profession, or on

their own farm, or who worked 15 hours or more as unpaid

workers in a family-operated enterprise; and (b) all those who

did not work but had jobs or businesses from which they were

temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, vacation,

childcare problems, labor disputes, or personal reasons,

whether or not they were paid for the time off and whether or

not they were seeking other jobs.

Unemployed. The unemployed are persons who had no

employment during the reference week, were available for work

at that time, except for temporary illness, 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.

Median earnings. The median 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, 

2002-03 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

2002 2003

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

 Total 16 years and over .................... 30,096 20,279 67.4 18,998 1,281 6.3 31,331 21,117 67.4 19,731 1,385 6.6

Men ..................................................... 15,049 12,102 80.4 11,401 702 5.8 15,669 12,634 80.6 11,850 784 6.2

Women ............................................... 15,047 8,177 54.3 7,598 579 7.1 15,662 8,482 54.2 7,881 601 7.1

Age

16 to 24 years ..................................... 4,200 2,558 60.9 2,298 260 10.2 4,135 2,456 59.4 2,203 252 10.3

25 to 34 years ..................................... 7,366 5,664 76.9 5,312 352 6.2 7,784 5,925 76.1 5,551 375 6.3

35 to 44 years ..................................... 7,085 5,739 81.0 5,420 319 5.6 7,450 6,026 80.9 5,673 353 5.9

45 to 54 years ..................................... 4,993 3,980 79.7 3,762 218 5.5 5,245 4,200 80.1 3,935 264 6.3

55 to 64 years ..................................... 3,052 1,890 61.9 1,781 108 5.7 3,195 2,016 63.1 1,903 113 5.6

65 years and over ............................... 3,400 448 13.2 425 23 5.2 3,521 494 14.0 465 28 5.8

Race and Hispanic 

or Latino ethnicity 1

White non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 6,890 4,086 59.3 3,856 230 5.6 7,128 4,267 59.9 4,048 219 5.1

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 2,189 1,613 73.7 1,494 119 7.4 2,391 1,782 74.5 1,631 152 8.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 7,261 4,913 67.7 4,647 267 5.4 6,867 4,613 67.2 4,324 289 6.3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ................. 13,667 9,605 70.3 8,943 662 6.9 14,627 10,226 69.9 9,513 713 7.0

Educational attainment

 Total, 25 years and over .................. 25,895 17,721 68.4 16,701 1,020 5.8 27,196 18,661 68.6 17,528 1,133 6.1

Less than a high school diploma ........ 8,288 5,025 60.6 4,661 364 7.2 8,823 5,376 60.9 4,949 427 7.9

High school graduates, no college 3 ... 6,440 4,275 66.4 4,034 240 5.6 6,778 4,596 67.8 4,335 261 5.7

Some college or associate degree ..... 4,069 2,961 72.8 2,775 186 6.3 4,147 2,991 72.1 2,811 180 6.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 .......... 7,099 5,461 76.9 5,231 230 4.2 7,447 5,698 76.5 5,433 265 4.7

NATIVE BORN

 Total 16 years and over .................... 187,474 124,584 66.5 117,487 7,097 5.7 189,837 125,393 66.1 118,005 7,389 5.9

Men ..................................................... 89,536 65,397 73.0 61,502 3,895 6.0 90,766 65,603 72.3 61,481 4,122 6.3

Women ............................................... 97,938 59,186 60.4 55,984 3,202 5.4 99,072 59,790 60.4 56,523 3,267 5.5

Age

16 to 24 years ..................................... 31,142 19,808 63.6 17,385 2,423 12.2 31,762 19,642 61.8 17,148 2,494 12.7

25 to 34 years ..................................... 31,106 26,532 85.3 24,994 1,538 5.8 31,237 26,418 84.6 24,832 1,585 6.0

35 to 44 years ..................................... 36,809 31,187 84.7 29,815 1,372 4.4 36,296 30,669 84.5 29,207 1,462 4.8

45 to 54 years ..................................... 34,718 28,617 82.4 27,519 1,097 3.8 35,277 29,071 82.4 27,979 1,092 3.8

55 to 64 years ..................................... 23,291 14,420 61.9 13,893 527 3.7 24,533 15,296 62.3 14,696 600 3.9

65 years and over ............................... 30,408 4,020 13.2 3,881 140 3.5 30,733 4,298 14.0 4,143 155 3.6

Race and Hispanic 

or Latino ethnicity 1

White non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 148,567 99,263 66.8 94,605 4,658 4.7 148,569 98,833 66.5 94,057 4,776 4.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 22,432 14,312 63.8 12,803 1,509 10.5 22,484 14,215 63.2 12,644 1,571 11.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 2,335 1,527 65.4 1,416 110 7.2 2,228 1,414 63.5 1,342 73 5.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ................. 12,296 8,338 67.8 7,647 691 8.3 12,924 8,587 66.4 7,859 727 8.5

Educational attainment

 Total, 25 years and over .................. 156,332 104,776 67.0 100,102 4,674 4.5 158,075 105,751 66.9 100,857 4,894 4.6

Less than a high school diploma ........ 20,094 7,574 37.7 6,874 700 9.2 19,333 7,271 37.6 6,588 682 9.4

High school graduates, no college 3 ... 52,421 33,489 63.9 31,744 1,745 5.2 52,701 33,330 63.2 31,522 1,808 5.4

Some college or associate degree ..... 41,899 30,656 73.2 29,319 1,337 4.4 42,594 31,058 72.9 29,609 1,449 4.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 .......... 41,918 33,057 78.9 32,165 892 2.7 43,447 34,093 78.5 33,138 955 2.8

1 Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. 2 Beginning in 2003, includes persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to 2003, persons who

reported more than one race group were included in the group they identified as their main race. Asian data for 2002 include Pacific Islanders. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

 NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical

Note for further information.
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, 2002-03 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

2002 2003

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 11,752 5,568 6,184 12,520 5,985 6,534

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 8,921 5,200 3,721 9,488 5,593 3,895

 Participation rate ............................................. 75.9 93.4 60.2 75.8 93.4 59.6

 Employed .......................................................... 8,393 4,949 3,444 8,896 5,284 3,611

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 71.4 88.9 55.7 71.1 88.3 55.3

 Unemployed ..................................................... 528 251 277 592 309 283

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 5.9 4.8 7.4 6.2 5.5 7.3

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 5,836 2,705 3,131 6,253 2,893 3,360

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 4,646 2,486 2,160 4,975 2,663 2,313

 Participation rate ............................................. 79.6 91.9 69.0 79.6 92.0 68.8

 Employed .......................................................... 4,401 2,379 2,022 4,688 2,516 2,172

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 75.4 88.0 64.6 75.0 87.0 64.7

 Unemployed ..................................................... 245 107 138 287 147 140

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 5.3 4.3 6.4 5.8 5.5 6.1

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 5,916 2,863 3,053 6,267 3,092 3,174

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 4,275 2,714 1,561 4,513 2,930 1,582

 Participation rate ............................................. 72.3 94.8 51.1 72.0 94.8 49.8

 Employed .......................................................... 3,992 2,570 1,422 4,208 2,769 1,439

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 67.5 89.8 46.6 67.1 89.5 45.3

 Unemployed ..................................................... 283 144 139 305 162 143

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 6.6 5.3 8.9 6.8 5.5 9.0

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 3,512 1,722 1,790 3,740 1,878 1,862

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 2,466 1,636 830 2,618 1,786 832

 Participation rate ............................................. 70.2 95.0 46.4 70.0 95.1 44.7

 Employed .......................................................... 2,294 1,543 751 2,450 1,693 757

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 65.3 89.6 41.9 65.5 90.2 40.6

 Unemployed ..................................................... 172 92 80 168 93 75

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 7.0 5.7 9.6 6.4 5.2 9.0

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 18,344 9,481 8,862 18,811 9,684 9,127

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 11,358 6,902 4,456 11,629 7,041 4,588

 Participation rate ............................................. 61.9 72.8 50.3 61.8 72.7 50.3

 Employed .......................................................... 10,605 6,452 4,154 10,836 6,566 4,270

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 57.8 68.0 46.9 57.6 67.8 46.8

 Unemployed ..................................................... 753 450 302 793 475 318

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 6.6 6.5 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.9

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 53,574 23,583 29,991 53,492 23,593 29,899

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 44,537 22,297 22,241 44,271 22,261 22,010

 Participation rate ............................................. 83.1 94.5 74.2 82.8 94.4 73.6

 Employed .......................................................... 42,488 21,453 21,034 42,196 21,421 20,774

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 79.3 91.0 70.1 78.9 90.8 69.5

 Unemployed ..................................................... 2,050 843 1,206 2,075 839 1,236

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 4.6 3.8 5.4 4.7 3.8 5.6

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 30,389 13,358 17,031 30,167 13,334 16,833

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 26,108 12,513 13,596 25,839 12,444 13,394

 Participation rate ............................................. 85.9 93.7 79.8 85.7 93.3 79.6

 Employed .......................................................... 25,091 12,084 13,007 24,784 12,004 12,780

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 82.6 90.5 76.4 82.2 90.0 75.9

 Unemployed ..................................................... 1,018 429 589 1,054 440 614

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 3.9 3.4 4.3 4.1 3.5 4.6

See footnotes at end of table.
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, 2002-03 annual averages — Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

2002 2003

Total Men Women Total Men Women

NATIVE BORN—Continued

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 23,185 10,225 12,960 23,324 10,259 13,065

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 18,429 9,784 8,645 18,432 9,816 8,616

 Participation rate ............................................. 79.5 95.7 66.7 79.0 95.7 65.9

 Employed .......................................................... 17,397 9,370 8,027 17,411 9,417 7,994

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 75.0 91.6 61.9 74.6 91.8 61.2

 Unemployed ..................................................... 1,032 414 618 1,021 399 621

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 5.6 4.2 7.1 5.5 4.1 7.2

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 13,648 6,087 7,561 13,625 6,037 7,588

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 10,653 5,851 4,801 10,518 5,787 4,731

 Participation rate ............................................. 78.1 96.1 63.5 77.2 95.9 62.3

 Employed .......................................................... 10,032 5,602 4,430 9,900 5,541 4,359

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 73.5 92.0 58.6 72.7 91.8 57.4

 Unemployed ..................................................... 621 250 371 617 245 372

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 5.8 4.3 7.7 5.9 4.2 7.9

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 133,900 65,953 67,947 136,346 67,173 69,173

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 80,046 43,101 36,946 81,123 43,343 37,780

 Participation rate ............................................. 59.8 65.4 54.4 59.5 64.5 54.6

 Employed .......................................................... 74,999 40,049 34,950 75,809 40,060 35,749

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 56.0 60.7 51.4 55.6 59.6 51.7

 Unemployed ..................................................... 5,047 3,052 1,996 5,314 3,283 2,031

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 6.3 7.1 5.4 6.6 7.6 5.4

 NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly

comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical Note for further information.
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, 2002-03 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

2002 2003

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High school

graduates,

no college 1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree and

higher 2

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High school

graduates,

no college 1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree and

higher 2

FOREIGN BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 971 1,817 1,202 2,313 910 1,857 1,238 2,506

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 344 982 748 1,681 291 1,029 772 1,825

 Participation rate ............................................. 35.4 54.0 62.2 72.7 32.0 55.4 62.4 72.8

 Employed .......................................................... 325 927 699 1,605 274 978 730 1,749

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 33.4 51.0 58.2 69.4 30.1 52.6 59.0 69.8

 Unemployed ..................................................... 19 55 48 76 17 51 42 76

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 5.6 5.6 6.5 4.5 6.0 5.0 5.5 4.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 382 536 441 483 366 629 477 564

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 242 397 372 419 223 494 393 490

 Participation rate ............................................. 63.3 74.2 84.3 86.8 60.9 78.5 82.2 86.9

 Employed .......................................................... 216 374 346 400 195 458 361 458

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 56.6 69.9 78.5 82.8 53.3 72.9 75.7 81.2

 Unemployed ..................................................... 26 23 26 19 28 35 31 32

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 10.6 5.8 6.9 4.6 12.5 7.1 7.9 6.6

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 906 1,329 1,052 3,157 867 1,304 932 3,033

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 418 883 765 2,449 405 863 675 2,321

 Participation rate ............................................. 46.2 66.4 72.7 77.6 46.7 66.2 72.4 76.5

 Employed .......................................................... 383 837 718 2,354 366 811 628 2,211

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 42.3 63.0 68.2 74.6 42.2 62.2 67.3 72.9

 Unemployed ..................................................... 35 46 47 96 39 51 47 110

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 8.4 5.2 6.2 3.9 9.7 6.0 7.0 4.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 6,021 2,735 1,351 1,123 6,645 2,916 1,428 1,247

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 4,018 1,995 1,062 891 4,436 2,160 1,093 983

 Participation rate ............................................. 66.7 72.9 78.6 79.3 66.8 74.1 76.6 78.9

 Employed .......................................................... 3,735 1,879 997 853 4,095 2,040 1,036 940

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 62.0 68.7 73.8 75.9 61.6 70.0 72.6 75.4

 Unemployed ..................................................... 284 116 65 38 341 120 58 44

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 7.1 5.8 6.1 4.3 7.7 5.6 5.3 4.4

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 13,708 42,308 33,828 36,975 13,010 42,044 33,809 37,843

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 4,949 26,440 24,356 28,946 4,713 26,005 24,276 29,493

 Participation rate ............................................. 36.1 62.5 72.0 78.3 36.2 61.9 71.8 77.9

 Employed .......................................................... 4,570 25,263 23,412 28,210 4,348 24,811 23,312 28,708

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 33.3 59.7 69.2 76.3 33.4 59.0 69.0 75.9

 Unemployed ..................................................... 379 1,177 944 736 365 1,194 965 786

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 7.7 4.5 3.9 2.5 7.7 4.6 4.0 2.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 3,606 6,359 5,005 2,848 3,448 6,410 5,001 3,022

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 1,349 4,303 3,864 2,338 1,267 4,292 3,820 2,458

 Participation rate ............................................. 37.4 67.7 77.2 82.1 36.8 67.0 76.4 81.3

 Employed .......................................................... 1,159 3,912 3,607 2,242 1,088 3,878 3,521 2,364

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 32.1 61.5 72.1 78.7 31.6 60.5 70.4 78.2

 Unemployed ..................................................... 191 391 257 96 179 414 298 95

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 14.1 9.1 6.6 4.1 14.1 9.6 7.8 3.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 3

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 85 337 409 645 132 294 358 755

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 30 216 311 528 50 174 251 611

 Participation rate ............................................. 35.3 64.2 76.0 81.8 38.0 59.0 70.2 81.0

 Employed .......................................................... 27 204 292 507 46 167 243 593

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 32.2 60.6 71.5 78.6 34.7 56.8 68.0 78.6

 Unemployed ..................................................... 3 12 18 21 4 7 8 18

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 8.8 5.5 5.9 4.0 8.8 3.8 3.1 3.0

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, 2002-03 annual averages — Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

2002 2003

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High school

graduates,

no college 1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree and

higher 2

Less than

a high

school

diploma

High school

graduates,

no college 1

Some

college or

associate

degree

Bachelor’s

degree and

higher 2

NATIVE BORN—Continued

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 2,365 2,887 2,218 1,248 2,324 3,078 2,487 1,350

 Civilian labor force .............................................. 1,123 2,172 1,818 1,083 1,088 2,270 2,008 1,142

 Participation rate ............................................. 47.5 75.2 82.0 86.8 46.8 73.7 80.7 84.6

 Employed .......................................................... 1,010 2,041 1,726 1,054 977 2,129 1,890 1,099

 Employment-population ratio .......................... 42.7 70.7 77.8 84.4 42.1 69.1 76.0 81.4

 Unemployed ..................................................... 113 131 92 29 110 141 118 43

 Unemployment rate ........................................ 10.1 6.0 5.1 2.7 10.2 6.2 5.9 3.8

1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 2 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. 3 Beginning in 2003, includes persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to

2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they identified as their main race. Asian data for 2002 include Pacific

Islanders.

 NOTE: Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Due to the introduction of revised population

controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical Note for further information.
Table 4. Employed foreign-born and native-born persons 16 years and over by occupation and sex, 

2003 annual averages

(Percent distribution)

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Total employed (thousands) ........................................................... 19,731 11,850 7,881 118,005 61,481 56,523

 Percent ........................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations ......................... 26.3 24.8 28.7 36.2 33.8 38.8

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ........ 9.6 9.9 9.1 15.3 16.9 13.6

 Management occupations .............................................................. 6.8 7.8 5.2 11.1 13.3 8.8

 Business and financial operations occupations .............................. 2.8 2.1 3.9 4.2 3.6 4.8

 Professional and related occupations ............................................... 16.8 14.9 19.5 20.9 17.0 25.2

 Computer and mathematical occupations ...................................... 3.0 3.6 2.0 2.2 2.9 1.3

 Architecture and engineering occupations ..................................... 2.0 2.9 .7 2.0 3.2 .6

 Life, physical, and social science occupations ............................... 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.0 1.0 .9

 Community and social services occupations .................................. 1.0 .7 1.3 1.7 1.3 2.2

 Legal occupations ........................................................................... .4 .4 .4 1.2 1.2 1.2

 Education, training, and library occupations ................................... 3.3 2.0 5.1 6.0 2.9 9.4

 Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations .......... 1.5 1.4 1.6 2.0 2.0 2.0

 Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations ......................... 4.5 2.6 7.2 4.9 2.3 7.7

Service occupations ........................................................................... 22.9 18.2 29.9 14.9 11.9 18.2

 Healthcare support occupations ....................................................... 2.5 .5 5.6 2.1 .4 3.9

 Protective service occupations ......................................................... .8 1.1 .5 2.2 3.3 .9

 Food preparation and serving related occupations .......................... 8.0 8.1 7.8 4.8 3.6 6.2

 Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations ......... 8.1 7.2 9.4 2.8 3.4 2.3

 Personal care and service occupations ............................................ 3.4 1.2 6.6 3.0 1.3 4.9

Sales and office occupations .............................................................. 18.4 13.3 26.0 27.0 18.3 36.4

 Sales and related occupations ......................................................... 9.4 8.2 11.3 11.9 11.7 12.3

 Office and administrative support occupations ................................. 9.0 5.2 14.7 15.1 6.7 24.2

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ........ 14.1 22.2 2.0 9.7 17.7 .9

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ....................................... 2.1 2.6 1.3 .5 .8 .2

 Construction and extraction occupations .......................................... 9.0 14.7 .4 5.4 10.0 .3

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ........................... 3.1 4.9 .3 3.8 6.9 .3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ............ 18.3 21.5 13.4 12.2 18.2 5.7

 Production occupations .................................................................... 11.3 11.9 10.5 6.3 8.6 3.9

 Transportation and material moving occupations ............................. 7.0 9.7 2.9 5.9 9.6 1.8

 NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those

for 2002. See the Technical Note for further information.
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native born by selected

characteristics, 2002-03 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

2002 2003

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 ........................... 14,759 $478 85,322 $627 76.3 15,227 $489 85,076 $643 76.0

Men ............................................................. 9,265 497 47,079 716 69.4 9,666 503 46,560 732 68.7

Women ....................................................... 5,494 437 38,243 547 79.9 5,560 459 38,516 567 80.8

Age

16 to 24 years ............................................. 1,665 337 9,456 389 86.5 1,512 345 9,278 393 87.7

25 to 34 years ............................................. 4,397 468 20,387 610 76.7 4,642 466 20,134 615 75.8

35 to 44 years ............................................. 4,354 524 23,271 693 75.5 4,493 522 22,602 716 72.8

45 to 54 years ............................................. 2,827 527 21,261 729 72.3 2,984 567 21,461 742 76.4

55 to 64 years ............................................. 1,302 518 9,595 696 74.5 1,355 600 10,084 725 82.8

65 years and over ....................................... 214 457 1,351 509 89.8 241 500 1,516 518 96.6

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 1

White non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ................... 2,783 660 67,206 666 99.1 2,863 681 66,371 683 99.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ................... 1,207 494 10,451 500 98.8 1,266 515 10,258 515 99.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ................... 3,525 660 968 683 96.6 3,250 689 991 732 94.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ......................... 7,203 384 5,934 508 75.6 7,690 398 5,944 523 76.1

Educational attainment

 Total, 25 years and over .......................... 13,095 503 75,866 670 75.1 13,715 511 75,798 688 74.2

Less than a high school diploma ................ 3,691 361 4,829 412 87.6 4,034 369 4,559 430 86.0

High school graduates, no college 3 ........... 3,177 444 23,940 552 80.5 3,359 467 23,724 569 82.1

Some college .............................................. 2,155 553 22,440 638 86.6 2,135 576 22,475 647 89.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 .................. 4,072 891 24,656 948 94.0 4,186 909 25,040 971 93.6

1 Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. 2 Beginning in 2003, includes persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to

2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they identified as their main race. Asian data for 2002 include Pacific

Islanders. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

 NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. 

See the Technical Note for further information.
Table 6. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by census regions and divisions, 

2002-03 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Census regions and

divisions

2002 2003

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 .................. 6,952 4,594 66.1 4,318 276 6.0 6,936 4,577 66.0 4,275 301 6.6

 New England .......... 1,325 918 69.3 868 50 5.4 1,334 920 68.9 856 63 6.9

 Middle Atlantic ........ 5,627 3,676 65.3 3,449 226 6.2 5,601 3,657 65.3 3,419 238 6.5

South ........................ 8,553 5,800 67.8 5,447 353 6.1 9,158 6,305 68.8 5,932 373 5.9

 South Atlantic ......... 5,047 3,436 68.1 3,228 209 6.1 5,442 3,753 69.0 3,545 208 5.5

 East South

Central ................ 386 265 68.6 255 10 3.6 389 275 70.7 262 12 4.5

 West South

Central ................ 3,120 2,099 67.3 1,964 135 6.4 3,327 2,277 68.5 2,125 153 6.7

Midwest .................... 3,379 2,343 69.3 2,196 147 6.3 3,504 2,404 68.6 2,235 169 7.0

 East North Central .. 2,641 1,807 68.4 1,690 117 6.5 2,683 1,814 67.6 1,688 126 6.9

 West North

Central ................ 738 536 72.7 506 30 5.6 820 589 71.8 546 43 7.3

West ......................... 11,212 7,543 67.3 7,038 505 6.7 11,733 7,831 66.7 7,290 542 6.9

 Mountain ................. 1,868 1,290 69.1 1,211 79 6.1 1,835 1,287 70.2 1,210 77 6.0

 Pacific ..................... 9,344 6,253 66.9 5,827 426 6.8 9,899 6,544 66.1 6,079 465 7.1

NATIVE BORN

Northeast .................. 35,481 23,257 65.5 21,969 1,288 5.5 35,685 23,066 64.6 21,754 1,312 5.7

 New England .......... 9,862 6,753 68.5 6,432 322 4.8 9,809 6,670 68.0 6,321 348 5.2

 Middle Atlantic ........ 25,619 16,504 64.4 15,537 966 5.9 25,876 16,396 63.4 15,433 964 5.9

South ........................ 68,150 44,173 64.8 41,719 2,454 5.6 69,398 44,841 64.6 42,265 2,576 5.7

 South Atlantic ......... 35,189 22,893 65.1 21,694 1,199 5.2 35,584 23,041 64.8 21,850 1,191 5.2

 East South

Central ................ 12,619 7,908 62.7 7,452 456 5.8 12,890 8,077 62.7 7,591 487 6.0

 West South

Central ................ 20,343 13,373 65.7 12,574 799 6.0 20,924 13,723 65.6 12,824 899 6.5

Midwest .................... 47,049 32,349 68.8 30,586 1,763 5.5 46,720 32,088 68.7 30,221 1,867 5.8

 East North Central .. 32,789 22,080 67.3 20,784 1,296 5.9 32,487 21,877 67.3 20,504 1,374 6.3

 West North

Central ................ 14,260 10,268 72.0 9,801 467 4.5 14,233 10,210 71.7 9,717 493 4.8

West ......................... 36,793 24,804 67.4 23,213 1,592 6.4 38,034 25,398 66.8 23,765 1,634 6.4

 Mountain ................. 12,107 8,293 68.5 7,820 473 5.7 12,477 8,471 67.9 7,996 475 5.6

 Pacific ..................... 24,686 16,512 66.9 15,393 1,119 6.8 25,557 16,928 66.2 15,769 1,159 6.8

 NOTE: The states (plus the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are:

New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont); 

Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania); 

South Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia);

East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee);

West South Central Division (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).

 Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical Note for

further information.