For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, May 18, 2017 USDL-17-0618 

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 — 2016 

The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 4.3 percent in 2016, down 

from 4.9 percent in 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of nativeborn persons fell to 5.0 percent in 2016 from 5.4 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 in this news release. 

Highlights from the 2016 data: 

• In 2016, there were 27.0 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 16.9 

percent of the total. (See table 1.)

• Hispanics accounted for 48.3 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2016, and Asians 

accounted for 25.0 percent. (See table 1.) (Data in this news release for persons who are White, 

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

or Latino ethnicity are presented separately.)

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

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

occupations. (See table 4.)

• The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $715 

in 2016, compared with $860 for their native-born counterparts. (See table 5.) (Differences in 

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

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

Demographic Characteristics

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

force. In 2016, men accounted for 57.9 percent of the foreign-born labor force, compared with 52.3 

percent of the native-born labor force. By age, the proportion of the foreign-born labor force made up of 
- 2 - 

25- to 54-year-olds (73.4 percent) was higher than for the native-born labor force (62.4 percent). Labor 

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

In 2016, nearly half (48.3 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and one-quarter (25.0 

percent) was Asian, compared with 10.4 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor 

force. About 16.2 percent of the foreign-born labor force was White and 9.3 percent was Black, 

compared with 73.0 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. 

In 2016, 22.4 percent of the foreign-born labor force age 25 and over had not completed high school, 

compared with 4.5 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—17.0 percent versus 29.8 percent. The 

proportions for foreign-born and native-born persons were more similar for those with a bachelor’s 

degree or higher (35.9 percent and 39.6 percent, respectively) and for high school graduates, no college 

(24.7 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively). 

Labor Force 

The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born increased to 16.9 percent in 2016 from 

16.7 percent in 2015; it was 13.3 percent in 2000. (See table 1.)

In 2016, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was 65.2 percent, unchanged from the prior 

year. The participation rate for the native born was 62.3 percent in 2016, little different from 2015. 

The participation rate of foreign-born men was 77.8 percent in 2016, higher than the rate of 67.5 percent 

for native-born men. In contrast, 53.4 percent of foreign-born women were labor force participants, 

lower than the rate of 57.5 percent for native-born women. 

Among the major race and ethnicity groups in 2016, labor force participation rates for foreign-born 

Whites (59.0 percent), Blacks (70.1 percent), Asians (63.1 percent), and Hispanics (67.9 percent) were 

little different from the prior year. The participation rates for native-born Whites (62.4 percent), Blacks 

(60.1 percent), Asians (62.6 percent), and Hispanics (64.0 percent) also showed little change from 2015 

to 2016. 

In 2016, foreign-born mothers with children under 18 years old were less likely to be labor force 

participants than were native-born mothers—58.9 percent versus 73.9 percent. Labor force participation 

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

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

mothers with children under age 6 was 49.5 percent in 2016, much lower than that for native-born 

mothers with children under age 6, at 69.0 percent. Among women with children under age 3, the 

participation rate for the foreign born (44.3 percent) was 22.1 percentage points below that for nativeborn mothers (66.4 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign-born and native-born fathers 

with children under age 18 were more similar, at 93.5 percent and 92.6 percent, respectively. (See table 

2.) 

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

Northeast (19.5 percent) than for the nation as a whole (16.9 percent) in 2016. In contrast, the foreign 

born made up a smaller share of the labor force than for the nation as a whole in the South (16.1 percent) 

and the Midwest (8.6 percent). (See table 6.) 
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Unemployment

From 2015 to 2016, the unemployment rate of the foreign born declined from 4.9 percent to 4.3 percent, 

and the jobless rate for the native born fell from 5.4 percent to 5.0 percent. The over-the-year decrease in 

the unemployment rates of the foreign born and the native born reflected decreases in the rates for both 

men and women. The unemployment rate for foreign-born men fell from 4.5 percent to 3.8 percent, and 

the rate for foreign-born women was down from 5.6 percent to 5.1 percent. Among the native born, the 

rate for men fell from 5.6 percent to 5.2 percent, while the rate for women was down from 5.1 percent to 

4.7 percent. (See table 1.)

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

Among the foreign born, Blacks had the highest unemployment rate (6.1 percent) in 2016. The 

unemployment rates were 4.7 percent for Hispanics, 3.7 percent for Whites, and 3.4 percent for Asians. 

Among the native born, Blacks also had the highest jobless rate (8.8 percent), followed by Hispanics 

(6.8 percent). The unemployment rates were 4.2 percent for Asians and 4.0 percent for Whites. 

Occupation

In 2016, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service 

occupations (23.5 percent versus 16.5 percent); in production, transportation, and material moving 

occupations (14.8 percent versus 11.1 percent); and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance 

occupations (13.6 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 (40.7 percent versus 32.2 percent) and in sales and office 

occupations (23.4 percent versus 15.9 percent).

Among the employed, foreign-born men were more likely than native-born men to work in natural 

resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; in production, transportation, and material 

moving occupations; and in service occupations. Compared with employed native-born women, 

employed foreign-born women were more likely to be in service occupations; in production, 

transportation, and material moving occupations; and in natural resources, construction, and 

maintenance occupations. The disparity was especially great in service occupations—32.5 percent of 

employed foreign-born women worked in service occupations in 2016, compared with 19.4 percent of 

employed native-born women. In contrast, employed native-born men and women were more likely than

their foreign-born counterparts to be in management, professional, and related occupations and in sales 

and office occupations. 

Earnings 

In 2016, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers ($715) 

were 83.1 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($860). Among men, median weekly 

earnings for the foreign born ($751) were 79.0 percent of the earnings of the native born ($951). Median 

earnings for foreign-born women ($655) were 86.0 percent of the earnings of their native-born 

counterparts ($762). 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 83.5 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2016. For Black workers, earnings for 

the foreign born and the native born were relatively close. For White and Asian workers, earnings for 

the foreign born were slightly higher than for the native born. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2016, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school education earned $489 per week, while those 

with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.7 times as much—$1,311 per week. Among the 

native born, those with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.4 times as much as those with less 

than a high school education—$1,253 versus $525 per week.

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

foreign-born full-time workers, those with less than a high school diploma earned 93.1 percent as much 

as their native-born counterparts, compared with 85.8 percent for high school graduates, no college, and 

90.0 percent for those with some college or an associate’s degree. The gap between the earnings of 

foreign-born and native-born workers closes at higher levels of education; among those with a 

bachelor’s degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born workers ($1,311) were not much different 

from the earnings of native-born workers ($1,253). 
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,

2015-2016 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2015 2016

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250,801 157,130 62.7 148,834 8,296 5.3 253,538 159,187 62.8 151,436 7,751 4.9

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121,101 83,620 69.1 79,131 4,490 5.4 122,497 84,755 69.2 80,568 4,187 4.9

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129,700 73,510 56.7 69,703 3,807 5.2 131,040 74,432 56.8 70,868 3,564 4.8

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,257 26,258 65.2 24,963 1,295 4.9 41,321 26,951 65.2 25,779 1,172 4.3

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,548 15,296 78.2 14,615 681 4.5 20,057 15,595 77.8 15,007 588 3.8

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,709 10,961 52.9 10,348 613 5.6 21,264 11,356 53.4 10,772 584 5.1

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,625 1,861 51.3 1,674 187 10.0 3,702 1,886 50.9 1,726 160 8.5

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,660 5,657 73.9 5,373 284 5.0 7,785 5,836 75.0 5,589 247 4.2

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,153 7,183 78.5 6,880 303 4.2 9,218 7,259 78.8 6,990 269 3.7

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,142 6,513 80.0 6,248 265 4.1 8,369 6,690 79.9 6,430 259 3.9

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,798 3,891 67.1 3,698 193 5.0 6,019 4,044 67.2 3,863 180 4.5

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,879 1,152 19.6 1,090 62 5.4 6,228 1,235 19.8 1,180 55 4.5

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,495 4,401 58.7 4,224 177 4.0 7,415 4,375 59.0 4,213 162 3.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,411 2,415 70.8 2,237 179 7.4 3,576 2,508 70.1 2,356 152 6.1

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,123 6,335 62.6 6,101 234 3.7 10,697 6,747 63.1 6,516 231 3.4

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,797 12,814 68.2 12,126 687 5.4 19,175 13,014 67.9 12,404 610 4.7

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,632 24,397 66.6 23,289 1,108 4.5 37,619 25,064 66.6 24,053 1,011 4.0

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 9,968 5,828 58.5 5,500 328 5.6 9,696 5,625 58.0 5,333 291 5.2

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 9,172 5,951 64.9 5,649 303 5.1 9,509 6,187 65.1 5,911 276 4.5

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 5,896 4,111 69.7 3,917 193 4.7 6,109 4,259 69.7 4,090 169 4.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 11,595 8,507 73.4 8,223 284 3.3 12,305 8,994 73.1 8,718 275 3.1

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210,544 130,872 62.2 123,871 7,002 5.4 212,217 132,236 62.3 125,657 6,580 5.0

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,553 68,324 67.3 64,516 3,808 5.6 102,441 69,160 67.5 65,561 3,599 5.2

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108,991 62,548 57.4 59,355 3,193 5.1 109,776 63,076 57.5 60,096 2,981 4.7

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,965 19,362 55.4 17,082 2,280 11.8 34,733 19,316 55.6 17,266 2,050 10.6

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,111 28,989 82.6 27,369 1,620 5.6 35,762 29,683 83.0 28,133 1,550 5.2

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,548 25,420 83.2 24,373 1,048 4.1 30,599 25,560 83.5 24,572 988 3.9

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,495 27,389 79.4 26,395 994 3.6 34,028 27,219 80.0 26,289 929 3.4

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,796 22,063 63.4 21,278 785 3.6 35,289 22,422 63.5 21,661 761 3.4

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,630 7,649 18.8 7,374 275 3.6 41,807 8,036 19.2 7,736 300 3.7

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154,058 96,007 62.3 92,010 3,997 4.2 154,543 96,503 62.4 92,671 3,832 4.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,306 15,780 60.0 14,219 1,561 9.9 26,538 15,947 60.1 14,536 1,411 8.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,908 2,437 62.4 2,333 104 4.3 4,004 2,508 62.6 2,401 107 4.2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,821 13,313 63.9 12,273 1,039 7.8 21,522 13,783 64.0 12,845 938 6.8

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175,579 111,510 63.5 106,788 4,722 4.2 177,484 112,920 63.6 108,391 4,529 4.0

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 14,206 5,143 36.2 4,598 545 10.6 13,672 5,054 37.0 4,551 504 10.0

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 52,540 29,371 55.9 27,753 1,617 5.5 52,513 29,461 56.1 27,890 1,571 5.3

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 50,367 33,370 66.3 31,868 1,502 4.5 51,075 33,675 65.9 32,295 1,380 4.1

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 58,466 43,626 74.6 42,569 1,057 2.4 60,224 44,729 74.3 43,655 1,074 2.4

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

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

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

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

and age of youngest child and sex, 2015-2016 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2015 2016

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 15,517 7,300 8,217 15,485 7,231 8,254

Civilian labor force.................................................. 11,583 6,831 4,753 11,622 6,759 4,863

Participation rate.................................................. 74.6 93.6 57.8 75.1 93.5 58.9

Employed.......................................................... 11,076 6,597 4,480 11,147 6,546 4,601

Employment-population ratio................................. 71.4 90.4 54.5 72.0 90.5 55.7

Unemployed....................................................... 507 234 273 475 213 262

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.4 3.4 5.7 4.1 3.1 5.4

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 8,603 3,961 4,642 8,709 3,978 4,732

Civilian labor force.................................................. 6,680 3,674 3,006 6,801 3,681 3,120

Participation rate.................................................. 77.6 92.7 64.8 78.1 92.5 65.9

Employed.......................................................... 6,397 3,548 2,849 6,522 3,563 2,960

Employment-population ratio................................. 74.4 89.6 61.4 74.9 89.6 62.5

Unemployed....................................................... 284 126 158 278 118 160

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.2 3.4 5.3 4.1 3.2 5.1

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 6,914 3,338 3,575 6,776 3,254 3,522

Civilian labor force.................................................. 4,903 3,157 1,746 4,821 3,078 1,743

Participation rate.................................................. 70.9 94.6 48.8 71.2 94.6 49.5

Employed.......................................................... 4,680 3,049 1,631 4,624 2,983 1,641

Employment-population ratio................................. 67.7 91.3 45.6 68.3 91.7 46.6

Unemployed....................................................... 223 108 115 197 95 102

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.6 3.4 6.6 4.1 3.1 5.8

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 3,810 1,878 1,932 3,684 1,796 1,888

Civilian labor force.................................................. 2,639 1,770 869 2,527 1,691 836

Participation rate.................................................. 69.3 94.2 45.0 68.6 94.1 44.3

Employed.......................................................... 2,517 1,711 806 2,434 1,643 791

Employment-population ratio................................. 66.1 91.1 41.7 66.1 91.5 41.9

Unemployed....................................................... 122 59 63 94 48 46

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.6 3.3 7.3 3.7 2.8 5.5

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 24,740 12,248 12,492 25,836 12,825 13,010

Civilian labor force.................................................. 14,674 8,465 6,209 15,329 8,835 6,493

Participation rate.................................................. 59.3 69.1 49.7 59.3 68.9 49.9

Employed.......................................................... 13,887 8,018 5,868 14,632 8,461 6,171

Employment-population ratio................................. 56.1 65.5 47.0 56.6 66.0 47.4

Unemployed....................................................... 787 447 340 697 375 322

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.4 5.3 5.5 4.5 4.2 5.0

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 50,047 21,795 28,252 49,570 21,761 27,809

Civilian labor force.................................................. 40,893 20,147 20,746 40,699 20,143 20,556

Participation rate.................................................. 81.7 92.4 73.4 82.1 92.6 73.9

Employed.......................................................... 39,162 19,482 19,680 39,093 19,493 19,600

Employment-population ratio................................. 78.3 89.4 69.7 78.9 89.6 70.5

Unemployed....................................................... 1,731 665 1,066 1,607 651 956

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.2 3.3 5.1 3.9 3.2 4.6

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 28,013 12,209 15,803 27,781 12,175 15,607

Civilian labor force.................................................. 23,377 11,166 12,211 23,287 11,155 12,132

Participation rate.................................................. 83.5 91.5 77.3 83.8 91.6 77.7

Employed.......................................................... 22,526 10,844 11,682 22,475 10,830 11,645

Employment-population ratio................................. 80.4 88.8 73.9 80.9 89.0 74.6
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, 2015-2016 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2015 2016

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed....................................................... 851 322 529 812 325 486

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.6 2.9 4.3 3.5 2.9 4.0

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 22,034 9,586 12,449 21,789 9,586 12,202

Civilian labor force.................................................. 17,516 8,981 8,535 17,412 8,988 8,424

Participation rate.................................................. 79.5 93.7 68.6 79.9 93.8 69.0

Employed.......................................................... 16,636 8,638 7,997 16,617 8,663 7,954

Employment-population ratio................................. 75.5 90.1 64.2 76.3 90.4 65.2

Unemployed....................................................... 880 343 537 795 325 470

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.0 3.8 6.3 4.6 3.6 5.6

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 13,144 5,769 7,375 13,072 5,803 7,270

Civilian labor force.................................................. 10,255 5,411 4,845 10,296 5,471 4,826

Participation rate.................................................. 78.0 93.8 65.7 78.8 94.3 66.4

Employed.......................................................... 9,733 5,203 4,530 9,822 5,270 4,552

Employment-population ratio................................. 74.0 90.2 61.4 75.1 90.8 62.6

Unemployed....................................................... 522 208 314 475 201 274

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.1 3.8 6.5 4.6 3.7 5.7

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 160,497 79,757 80,739 162,647 80,679 81,967

Civilian labor force.................................................. 89,980 48,177 41,803 91,537 49,017 42,521

Participation rate.................................................. 56.1 60.4 51.8 56.3 60.8 51.9

Employed.......................................................... 84,709 45,034 39,675 86,564 46,068 40,496

Employment-population ratio................................. 52.8 56.5 49.1 53.2 57.1 49.4

Unemployed....................................................... 5,271 3,143 2,127 4,973 2,948 2,025

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.9 6.5 5.1 5.4 6.0 4.8

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, 2015-2016 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2015 2016

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..................... 661 1,658 1,372 3,246 599 1,610 1,347 3,343

Civilian labor force..................................... 227 837 801 2,269 203 805 786 2,337

Participation rate.................................... 34.3 50.5 58.4 69.9 34.0 50.0 58.3 69.9

Employed............................................. 220 804 760 2,200 192 772 755 2,271

Employment-population ratio.................... 33.3 48.5 55.4 67.8 32.1 48.0 56.1 67.9

Unemployed.......................................... 7 32 41 69 11 33 31 66

Unemployment rate.............................. 2.9 3.9 5.1 3.0 5.6 4.1 3.9 2.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 388 837 772 992 403 878 814 1,060

Civilian labor force..................................... 210 575 609 823 220 591 633 871

Participation rate.................................... 54.1 68.7 78.9 83.0 54.6 67.3 77.7 82.2

Employed............................................. 188 529 572 782 201 550 600 833

Employment-population ratio.................... 48.5 63.2 74.1 78.9 49.9 62.7 73.7 78.6

Unemployed.......................................... 22 46 37 41 19 41 32 37

Unemployment rate.............................. 10.4 8.0 6.1 5.0 8.6 6.9 5.1 4.3

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 1,036 1,854 1,277 5,135 1,074 1,895 1,345 5,466

Civilian labor force..................................... 409 1,065 854 3,702 422 1,129 903 3,932

Participation rate.................................... 39.5 57.4 66.9 72.1 39.3 59.6 67.1 71.9

Employed............................................. 389 1,023 825 3,591 407 1,083 872 3,822

Employment-population ratio.................... 37.5 55.2 64.6 69.9 37.9 57.2 64.8 69.9

Unemployed.......................................... 20 42 28 111 15 46 31 110

Unemployment rate.............................. 5.0 4.0 3.3 3.0 3.6 4.1 3.4 2.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,816 4,724 2,381 2,089 7,574 5,034 2,492 2,291

Civilian labor force..................................... 4,955 3,406 1,779 1,603 4,757 3,604 1,858 1,744

Participation rate.................................... 63.4 72.1 74.7 76.7 62.8 71.6 74.5 76.1

Employed............................................. 4,677 3,230 1,696 1,543 4,514 3,451 1,787 1,687

Employment-population ratio.................... 59.8 68.4 71.2 73.9 59.6 68.6 71.7 73.6

Unemployed.......................................... 277 176 83 60 243 153 71 56

Unemployment rate.............................. 5.6 5.2 4.7 3.7 5.1 4.2 3.8 3.2

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 8,769 39,059 37,445 48,179 8,248 38,586 37,803 49,550

Civilian labor force..................................... 3,033 21,173 24,197 35,522 2,916 21,014 24,331 36,292

Participation rate.................................... 34.6 54.2 64.6 73.7 35.4 54.5 64.4 73.2

Employed............................................. 2,793 20,250 23,282 34,735 2,683 20,091 23,477 35,488

Employment-population ratio.................... 31.9 51.8 62.2 72.1 32.5 52.1 62.1 71.6

Unemployed.......................................... 240 923 915 787 233 923 854 803

Unemployment rate.............................. 7.9 4.4 3.8 2.2 8.0 4.4 3.5 2.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,591 7,344 6,583 4,700 2,579 7,463 6,640 4,820

Civilian labor force..................................... 857 4,196 4,528 3,586 861 4,299 4,508 3,679

Participation rate.................................... 33.1 57.1 68.8 76.3 33.4 57.6 67.9 76.3

Employed............................................. 701 3,780 4,188 3,449 721 3,917 4,224 3,549

Employment-population ratio.................... 27.1 51.5 63.6 73.4 28.0 52.5 63.6 73.6

Unemployed.......................................... 156 416 340 137 140 382 284 130

Unemployment rate.............................. 18.2 9.9 7.5 3.8 16.3 8.9 6.3 3.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 138 443 576 1,541 152 461 640 1,569

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, 2015-2016 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2015 2016

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..................................... 57 273 402 1,213 61 271 449 1,252

Participation rate.................................... 41.4 61.7 69.8 78.7 40.0 58.9 70.2 79.8

Employed............................................. 52 260 388 1,187 56 262 427 1,218

Employment-population ratio.................... 37.7 58.7 67.4 77.0 36.8 56.8 66.6 77.6

Unemployed.......................................... 5 13 14 26 5 9 23 34

Unemployment rate.............................. 8.9 4.9 3.4 2.1 7.9 3.5 5.1 2.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,278 4,536 4,393 2,997 2,282 4,757 4,560 3,218

Civilian labor force..................................... 1,031 3,037 3,333 2,473 1,058 3,139 3,420 2,654

Participation rate.................................... 45.3 67.0 75.9 82.5 46.4 66.0 75.0 82.5

Employed............................................. 915 2,834 3,163 2,392 958 2,946 3,266 2,576

Employment-population ratio.................... 40.1 62.5 72.0 79.8 42.0 61.9 71.6 80.0

Unemployed.......................................... 117 203 170 81 100 193 154 78

Unemployment rate.............................. 11.3 6.7 5.1 3.3 9.5 6.2 4.5 3.0

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, 2016

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)....................................... 25,779 15,007 10,772 125,657 65,561 60,096

Occupation as a percent of total employed

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

Management, professional, and related occupations........... 32.2 30.2 34.9 40.7 37.1 44.6

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations..................................................... 12.4 12.6 12.1 17.3 18.5 16.0

Management occupations.................................... 8.7 9.7 7.4 12.1 14.0 10.0

Business and financial operations occupations............ 3.7 3.0 4.7 5.2 4.5 6.0

Professional and related occupations.......................... 19.8 17.5 22.8 23.4 18.6 28.6

Computer and mathematical occupations.................. 4.6 6.0 2.7 2.7 3.8 1.5

Architecture and engineering occupations.................. 2.2 3.2 0.8 2.0 3.3 0.6

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

Community and social service occupations................ 1.0 0.7 1.3 1.9 1.2 2.6

Legal occupations............................................. 0.5 0.3 0.8 1.3 1.3 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations................ 3.7 2.1 5.9 6.4 3.2 9.8

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations.................................................. 1.4 1.3 1.7 2.2 2.1 2.2

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. . . . . . .. 5.1 2.8 8.3 6.1 2.7 9.8

Service occupations................................................ 23.5 17.1 32.5 16.5 13.8 19.4

Healthcare support occupations................................ 2.7 0.6 5.5 2.3 0.5 4.2

Protective service occupations................................. 0.9 1.2 0.5 2.3 3.4 1.1

Food preparation and serving related occupations.......... 7.3 6.9 7.9 5.3 4.5 6.2

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations..................................................... 8.2 6.9 9.9 2.9 3.7 2.1

Personal care and service occupations....................... 4.6 1.5 8.8 3.7 1.7 5.9

Sales and office occupations...................................... 15.9 12.1 21.2 23.4 17.1 30.3

Sales and related occupations.................................. 8.4 7.6 9.4 10.9 10.6 11.2

Office and administrative support occupations............... 7.5 4.5 11.8 12.5 6.5 19.1

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations........................................................ 13.6 22.0 1.8 8.3 15.2 0.8

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.................... 1.7 2.3 1.0 0.5 0.8 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations...................... 9.1 15.1 0.6 4.5 8.3 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations........... 2.7 4.6 0.2 3.3 6.1 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving

occupations........................................................ 14.8 18.6 9.6 11.1 16.8 4.8

Production occupations.......................................... 7.5 8.2 6.6 5.2 7.4 2.8

Transportation and material moving occupations............ 7.3 10.4 3.0 5.9 9.4 2.0

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, 2015-2016 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2015 2016

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.................. 18,792 $681 90,289 $837 81.4 19,463 $715 91,628 $860 83.1

Men........................................ 11,561 712 49,185 934 76.2 12,008 751 49,922 951 79.0

Women.................................... 7,231 626 41,103 740 84.6 7,455 655 41,706 762 86.0

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 995 464 8,795 490 94.7 1,081 497 8,995 502 99.0

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,247 622 22,364 751 82.8 4,532 667 22,924 767 87.0

35 to 44 years.............................. 5,378 721 19,538 940 76.7 5,432 756 19,851 972 77.8

45 to 54 years.............................. 4,745 724 20,832 965 75.0 4,929 765 20,723 995 76.9

55 to 64 years.............................. 2,744 731 15,364 961 76.1 2,774 796 15,722 977 81.5

65 years and over.......................... 683 731 3,395 895 81.7 715 735 3,412 897 81.9

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY1

White non-Hispanic or Latino............. 2,888 999 66,208 900 111.0 2,967 1,025 66,686 927 110.6

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 1,734 674 11,055 643 104.8 1,849 693 11,287 677 102.4

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............. 4,706 1,010 1,755 973 103.8 4,993 1,061 1,818 975 108.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................ 9,246 548 9,065 679 80.7 9,417 582 9,533 697 83.5

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 17,797 702 81,494 891 78.8 18,383 735 82,633 914 80.4

Less than a high school diploma. . . . .. 4,217 476 3,073 519 91.7 4,051 489 3,057 525 93.1

High school graduates, no college2

. .. 4,218 599 21,003 696 86.1 4,379 608 21,096 709 85.8

Some college or associate degree. . .. 2,845 699 23,956 770 90.8 2,987 710 24,321 789 90.0

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

......... 6,517 1,259 33,462 1,225 102.8 6,966 1,311 34,159 1,253 104.6

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

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

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

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

region and division, 2015-2016 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2015 2016

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Number

Unemployment

rate

Number

Unemployment

rate

FOREIGN BORN

Northeast................... 8,664 5,552 64.1 5,266 286 5.1 8,688 5,552 63.9 5,288 263 4.7

New England............ 1,786 1,169 65.5 1,106 63 5.4 1,882 1,241 65.9 1,184 57 4.6

Middle Atlantic.......... 6,878 4,383 63.7 4,160 223 5.1 6,806 4,310 63.3 4,104 207 4.8

South....................... 13,242 8,846 66.8 8,455 390 4.4 14,023 9,359 66.7 8,997 362 3.9

South Atlantic........... 7,725 5,159 66.8 4,906 253 4.9 8,213 5,487 66.8 5,268 219 4.0

East South Central. . . .. 684 442 64.5 420 21 4.8 695 466 67.0 452 13 2.9

West South Central. . .. 4,833 3,245 67.2 3,129 116 3.6 5,115 3,406 66.6 3,277 129 3.8

Midwest..................... 4,486 2,992 66.7 2,843 150 5.0 4,465 2,997 67.1 2,875 122 4.1

East North Central. . . .. 3,375 2,198 65.1 2,086 111 5.1 3,287 2,178 66.3 2,095 84 3.8

West North Central..... 1,111 795 71.5 757 38 4.8 1,178 818 69.5 780 38 4.6

West........................ 13,865 8,867 64.0 8,399 469 5.3 14,144 9,044 63.9 8,619 424 4.7

Mountain................. 2,633 1,709 64.9 1,614 95 5.6 2,654 1,743 65.7 1,663 80 4.6

Pacific.................... 11,232 7,158 63.7 6,785 374 5.2 11,491 7,300 63.5 6,956 344 4.7

NATIVE BORN

Northeast................... 36,465 22,907 62.8 21,700 1,207 5.3 36,630 22,978 62.7 21,870 1,108 4.8

New England............ 10,137 6,637 65.5 6,318 320 4.8 10,106 6,604 65.3 6,340 264 4.0

Middle Atlantic.......... 26,328 16,269 61.8 15,382 887 5.5 26,523 16,374 61.7 15,530 844 5.2

South....................... 80,368 48,403 60.2 45,771 2,632 5.4 81,021 48,854 60.3 46,381 2,473 5.1

South Atlantic........... 41,866 25,241 60.3 23,829 1,412 5.6 42,178 25,458 60.4 24,180 1,278 5.0

East South Central. . . .. 14,019 8,032 57.3 7,557 475 5.9 14,100 8,138 57.7 7,700 438 5.4

West South Central. . .. 24,483 15,130 61.8 14,385 745 4.9 24,742 15,257 61.7 14,500 757 5.0

Midwest..................... 48,678 31,539 64.8 30,014 1,525 4.8 48,896 31,875 65.2 30,364 1,511 4.7

East North Central. . . .. 33,417 21,140 63.3 20,030 1,110 5.2 33,596 21,467 63.9 20,364 1,103 5.1

West North Central..... 15,262 10,399 68.1 9,985 415 4.0 15,300 10,407 68.0 10,000 408 3.9

West........................ 45,032 28,024 62.2 26,386 1,639 5.8 45,671 28,530 62.5 27,042 1,488 5.2

Mountain................. 15,337 9,685 63.1 9,200 485 5.0 15,678 9,889 63.1 9,435 454 4.6

Pacific.................... 29,695 18,339 61.8 17,185 1,154 6.3 29,993 18,641 62.2 17,607 1,034 5.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

annually with the release of January data.