For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, May 24, 2012 USDL-12-1019 

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 — 2011 

The unemployment rate for the foreign born was 9.1 percent in 2011, down from 9.8 percent in 2010, 

the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of the native born was 8.9 percent in 

2011, compared with 9.6 percent in the prior year. The foreign born made up 15.9 percent of the labor 

force. 

Data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey 

of approximately 60,000 households. The foreign born are persons who reside in the United States but 

who were born outside the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens. 

The foreign born include legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students 

and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, however, do not separately 

identify the numbers of persons in these categories. For further information about the survey, see the 

Technical Note. 

Highlights from the 2011 data: 

 In 2011, there were 24.4 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 15.9 

percent of the total. (See table 1.) 

 Hispanics accounted for 49.0 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2011. Asians accounted 

for 22.3 percent. (See table 1.) (Data in this news release for persons who are white, black, or 

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

Latino ethnicity are presented separately.) 

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

occupations; production, transportation, and material moving occupations; and natural resources, 

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

 The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $609 

in 2011, compared with $780 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.) 
- 2 - 

Demographic Characteristics 

The demographic characteristics of the foreign-born labor force differ from those of the native-born 

labor force. In 2011, men accounted for 59.0 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 25- to 54-year-olds (75.4 percent) was higher than for their native-born counterparts (64.5 

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

In 2011, nearly half (49.0 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and 22.3 percent was 

Asian, compared with 8.5 and 1.4 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. About 19 percent 

of the foreign-born labor force was white and 8.8 percent was black, compared with 76.4 and 11.6 

percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. 

In 2011, 25.5 percent of the foreign-born labor force 25 years old and over had not completed high 

school, compared with 5.3 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—17.5 versus 29.9 percent. Similar 

proportions of foreign-born and native-born persons in the labor force had a bachelor's degree or higher 

(31.7 and 36.1 percent, respectively). 

Labor Force 

The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 15.9 percent in 2011, little different 

from 15.8 percent in 2010. (See table 1.) 

In 2011, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was 67.0 percent. The labor force 

participation rate of the native born was 63.6 percent. The labor force participation rate of foreign-born 

men was 79.5 percent in 2011, compared with 68.8 percent for native-born men. Among women, 54.6 

percent of the foreign born were labor force participants, compared with 58.7 percent of the native born. 

Among the foreign born, the labor force participation rate for blacks was 71.2 percent in 2011, little 

different from the participation rate for Hispanics (69.8 percent). The participation rate for whites was 

60.2 percent, while that for Asians was 65.6 percent. Among the native born, the labor force 

participation rate for whites was 64.3 percent, followed by Hispanics (63.2 percent), Asians (61.5 

percent), and blacks (60.1 percent). 

In 2011, foreign-born mothers with children under 18 years old were less likely to be labor force 

participants than were native-born mothers—59.8 versus 73.2 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 50.5 percent in 2011, much lower than that for native-born 

mothers with children under age 6, at 67.3 percent. Among women with children under age 3, the 

participation rate for the foreign born (45.2 percent) was nearly 20 percentage points below that for 

native-born mothers (64.3 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign- and native-born 

fathers with children under age 18 were similar, at 93.8 and 93.1 percent, respectively. (See table 2.) 

By region, the foreign born made up a larger share of the labor force in the West (24.0 percent) and in 

the Northeast (18.5 percent) than for the nation as a whole (15.9 percent) in 2011. In contrast, the 

foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force than for the nation as a whole in the South (14.2 

percent) and Midwest (8.0 percent). (See table 6.) 
- 3 - 

Unemployment 

From 2010 to 2011, the unemployment rates of the foreign born and the native born each declined by 0.7 

percentage point, to 9.1 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively. Overall, the unemployment rates of the 

foreign born in younger age groups (ages 16 to 34) tend to be lower than the jobless rates for the native 

born, while for older workers (ages 35 and up), unemployment rates of the foreign born tend to be 

higher than for the native born. (See table 1.) 

In 2011, the unemployment rate for foreign-born men was 8.8 percent, compared with 9.5 percent for 

native-born men. Among women, however, the jobless rate for the foreign born was higher than for the 

native born, 9.5 versus 8.3 percent. 

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, blacks had the highest unemployment rate in 2011, 

regardless of whether they were foreign born or native born. Among the foreign born, blacks had an 

unemployment rate of 12.5 percent in 2011, compared with 6.7 percent for Asians, 7.6 percent for 

whites, and 10.1 percent for Hispanics. Among the native born, the jobless rate of blacks (16.3 percent) 

was higher than the rate for whites (7.2 percent), Asians (8.2 percent), and Hispanics (13.0 percent). 

Occupation 

In 2011, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service 

occupations (24.6 versus 16.4 percent). Within service occupations, about two-thirds of the foreign born 

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

cleaning and maintenance occupations (combined), whereas about one-half of the native-born service 

workers were employed in the same occupations. Foreign-born workers also were more likely than 

native-born workers to be employed in production, transportation, and material moving occupations 

(15.8 versus 11.0 percent) and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations (13.5 

versus 8.5 percent). (See table 4.) 

Native-born workers were more likely than foreign-born workers to be employed in management, 

professional, and related occupations (39.3 versus 28.6 percent) and in sales and office occupations 

(24.8 versus 17.5 percent). 

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

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

transportation, and material moving occupations. Compared with native-born women workers, 

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

transportation, and material moving occupations. The disparity was especially great in service 

occupations. In 2011, 32.2 percent of foreign-born women workers were in service occupations, 

compared with 19.4 percent of native-born women workers. Employed native-born women were more 

likely than employed foreign-born women to be in sales and office occupations, 32.6 versus 24.5 

percent. 

Earnings 

In 2011, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers ($609) 

were 78.0 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($780). Among men, median 

earnings for the foreign born were $624 per week, while the native born earned $879 per week. The 

median usual weekly earnings for foreign-born women were $585, compared with $701 for native-born 
- 4 - 

women. Differences in earnings reflect a variety of factors, including variations in the distributions of 

foreign-born and native-born workers by educational attainment, occupation, industry, and geographic 

region. (See table 5.) 

Hispanic foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers earned 77.0 percent as much as their nativeborn counterparts in 2011. For white, black, and Asian workers, earnings were similar for the foreign 

born and the native born. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2011, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school education earned $417 per week, while those 

with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.8 times as much—$1,148 per week. Among the 

native born, those with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.3 times as much as those with less 

than a high school education—$1,151 versus $497 per week. 

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

between the earnings of foreign-born and native-born workers narrows with higher levels of education. 

For example, among those with less than a high school diploma in 2011, full-time workers who were 

foreign born earned 83.9 percent as much as their native-born counterparts. Among those with a 

bachelor’s degree and higher, foreign-born workers earned essentially as much (99.8 percent) as nativeborn workers. 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this news 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 for 2011 are not 

strictly comparable with data for 2010 and earlier years 

because of the introduction in January 2011 of revised 

population controls used in the CPS. The effect of the revised 

population controls on the foreign- and native-born estimates 

is unknown. However, the effect of the new controls on the 

monthly CPS estimates was to decrease the December 2010 

employment level by 472,000 and the unemployment level by 

32,000. The updated controls had little or no effect on 

unemployment rates and limited effects on other ratios. 

Additional information is available from the BLS website at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop. 

Information in this news 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 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. 

A full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS 

and information on estimating standard errors, is available at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. 

Definitions 

Definitions of the principal terms used in this news 

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 the 

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 nonHispanic 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. 

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, commissions, tips, 

payment in kind, or piece rates. 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 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,

2010-2011 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2010 2011

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237,830 153,889 64.7 139,064 14,825 9.6 239,618 153,617 64.1 139,869 13,747 8.9

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115,174 81,985 71.2 73,359 8,626 10.5 116,317 81,975 70.5 74,290 7,684 9.4

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122,656 71,904 58.6 65,705 6,199 8.6 123,300 71,642 58.1 65,579 6,063 8.5

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,869 24,356 67.9 21,969 2,387 9.8 36,420 24,391 67.0 22,183 2,208 9.1

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,936 14,375 80.1 12,946 1,429 9.9 18,090 14,379 79.5 13,120 1,260 8.8

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,934 9,981 55.7 9,023 958 9.6 18,331 10,012 54.6 9,063 949 9.5

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,533 1,975 55.9 1,661 314 15.9 3,631 1,971 54.3 1,695 276 14.0

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,714 5,936 77.0 5,387 550 9.3 7,562 5,758 76.1 5,255 503 8.7

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,470 6,884 81.3 6,265 619 9.0 8,492 6,843 80.6 6,301 542 7.9

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,949 5,719 82.3 5,172 547 9.6 7,089 5,799 81.8 5,274 525 9.1

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,528 3,011 66.5 2,727 284 9.4 4,737 3,161 66.7 2,870 290 9.2

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,674 831 17.8 757 74 8.9 4,909 860 17.5 788 72 8.3

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,363 4,470 60.7 4,138 332 7.4 7,617 4,583 60.2 4,237 346 7.6

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,898 2,162 74.6 1,893 269 12.4 3,002 2,137 71.2 1,870 267 12.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,073 5,315 65.8 4,928 386 7.3 8,306 5,449 65.6 5,086 363 6.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,162 12,152 70.8 10,776 1,376 11.3 17,132 11,963 69.8 10,751 1,212 10.1

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,336 22,381 69.2 20,308 2,073 9.3 32,790 22,420 68.4 20,488 1,932 8.6

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . 9,620 5,930 61.6 5,219 712 12.0 9,532 5,721 60.0 5,086 634 11.1

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 8,284 5,663 68.4 5,087 576 10.2 8,488 5,674 66.8 5,145 529 9.3

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . 5,200 3,818 73.4 3,463 355 9.3 5,389 3,927 72.9 3,584 343 8.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 9,232 6,970 75.5 6,539 431 6.2 9,381 7,098 75.7 6,673 425 6.0

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201,960 129,533 64.1 117,095 12,438 9.6 203,197 129,226 63.6 117,686 11,539 8.9

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97,238 67,610 69.5 60,414 7,196 10.6 98,228 67,595 68.8 61,170 6,425 9.5

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104,722 61,923 59.1 56,682 5,242 8.5 104,970 61,630 58.7 56,516 5,115 8.3

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,415 18,960 55.1 15,417 3,543 18.7 34,567 19,026 55.0 15,668 3,358 17.7

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,189 27,678 83.4 24,842 2,836 10.2 33,801 27,967 82.7 25,282 2,685 9.6

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,620 26,482 83.8 24,398 2,084 7.9 31,006 25,817 83.3 23,970 1,847 7.2

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,348 30,242 81.0 28,019 2,223 7.4 36,753 29,560 80.4 27,593 1,967 6.7

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,357 20,286 64.7 18,909 1,377 6.8 32,250 20,604 63.9 19,315 1,289 6.3

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,032 5,886 17.3 5,511 375 6.4 34,819 6,252 18.0 5,858 393 6.3

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153,448 99,478 64.8 91,483 7,994 8.0 153,541 98,751 64.3 91,609 7,142 7.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,691 14,996 60.7 12,529 2,467 16.5 24,911 14,973 60.1 12,526 2,447 16.3

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,900 1,782 61.5 1,641 141 7.9 2,917 1,793 61.5 1,647 147 8.2

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,551 10,596 64.0 9,130 1,467 13.8 17,306 10,934 63.2 9,518 1,417 13.0

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167,546 110,573 66.0 101,679 8,895 8.0 168,630 110,200 65.4 102,019 8,181 7.4

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . 16,046 5,949 37.1 4,896 1,053 17.7 15,590 5,878 37.7 4,881 998 17.0

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 53,753 32,573 60.6 29,206 3,367 10.3 53,444 31,670 59.3 28,679 2,992 9.4

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . 47,022 33,022 70.2 30,284 2,738 8.3 47,700 32,904 69.0 30,310 2,594 7.9

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 50,724 39,029 76.9 37,293 1,736 4.4 51,896 39,747 76.6 38,149 1,598 4.0

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

2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

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

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

and age of youngest child and sex, 2010-2011 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2010 2011

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 14,385 6,896 7,490 14,472 6,965 7,508

Civilian labor force................................................... 11,032 6,480 4,552 11,024 6,533 4,490

Participation rate................................................... 76.7 94.0 60.8 76.2 93.8 59.8

Employed........................................................... 10,008 5,913 4,095 10,062 6,032 4,030

Employment-population ratio.................................. 69.6 85.7 54.7 69.5 86.6 53.7

Unemployed........................................................ 1,025 568 457 961 501 460

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.3 8.8 10.0 8.7 7.7 10.2

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 7,338 3,423 3,915 7,484 3,474 4,010

Civilian labor force................................................... 5,908 3,184 2,725 5,941 3,215 2,725

Participation rate................................................... 80.5 93.0 69.6 79.4 92.6 68.0

Employed........................................................... 5,373 2,903 2,470 5,437 2,969 2,468

Employment-population ratio.................................. 73.2 84.8 63.1 72.6 85.5 61.5

Unemployed........................................................ 536 281 255 504 247 257

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.1 8.8 9.4 8.5 7.7 9.4

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 7,047 3,473 3,574 6,989 3,491 3,497

Civilian labor force................................................... 5,124 3,296 1,827 5,083 3,318 1,765

Participation rate................................................... 72.7 94.9 51.1 72.7 95.0 50.5

Employed........................................................... 4,635 3,010 1,625 4,625 3,063 1,562

Employment-population ratio.................................. 65.8 86.7 45.5 66.2 87.7 44.7

Unemployed........................................................ 489 287 202 457 255 203

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.5 8.7 11.1 9.0 7.7 11.5

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 4,074 2,022 2,053 3,961 2,019 1,942

Civilian labor force................................................... 2,871 1,916 955 2,802 1,925 877

Participation rate................................................... 70.5 94.8 46.5 70.8 95.4 45.2

Employed........................................................... 2,585 1,748 837 2,547 1,784 762

Employment-population ratio.................................. 63.4 86.4 40.8 64.3 88.4 39.3

Unemployed........................................................ 286 168 118 256 141 115

Unemployment rate............................................. 10.0 8.8 12.3 9.1 7.3 13.1

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 21,484 11,040 10,444 21,948 11,125 10,823

Civilian labor force................................................... 13,323 7,895 5,429 13,368 7,846 5,521

Participation rate................................................... 62.0 71.5 52.0 60.9 70.5 51.0

Employed........................................................... 11,961 7,033 4,928 12,121 7,088 5,033

Employment-population ratio.................................. 55.7 63.7 47.2 55.2 63.7 46.5

Unemployed........................................................ 1,362 862 501 1,247 758 489

Unemployment rate............................................. 10.2 10.9 9.2 9.3 9.7 8.9

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 51,801 22,530 29,270 51,190 22,218 28,972

Civilian labor force................................................... 42,459 21,018 21,441 41,879 20,675 21,204

Participation rate................................................... 82.0 93.3 73.2 81.8 93.1 73.2

Employed........................................................... 38,981 19,430 19,551 38,703 19,357 19,346

Employment-population ratio.................................. 75.3 86.2 66.8 75.6 87.1 66.8

Unemployed........................................................ 3,478 1,588 1,890 3,176 1,318 1,858

Unemployment rate............................................. 8.2 7.6 8.8 7.6 6.4 8.8

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 28,468 12,426 16,042 27,961 12,194 15,767

Civilian labor force................................................... 24,033 11,503 12,530 23,584 11,271 12,314

Participation rate................................................... 84.4 92.6 78.1 84.3 92.4 78.1

Employed........................................................... 22,337 10,735 11,601 22,037 10,627 11,410

Employment-population ratio.................................. 78.5 86.4 72.3 78.8 87.1 72.4
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, 2010-2011 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2010 2011

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed........................................................ 1,697 768 929 1,548 644 903

Unemployment rate............................................. 7.1 6.7 7.4 6.6 5.7 7.3

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 23,333 10,104 13,229 23,229 10,024 13,205

Civilian labor force................................................... 18,426 9,515 8,911 18,295 9,404 8,891

Participation rate................................................... 79.0 94.2 67.4 78.8 93.8 67.3

Employed........................................................... 16,644 8,695 7,949 16,666 8,730 7,936

Employment-population ratio.................................. 71.3 86.1 60.1 71.7 87.1 60.1

Unemployed........................................................ 1,781 820 961 1,629 674 955

Unemployment rate............................................. 9.7 8.6 10.8 8.9 7.2 10.7

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 13,859 6,006 7,853 13,655 5,932 7,723

Civilian labor force................................................... 10,725 5,658 5,067 10,536 5,567 4,969

Participation rate................................................... 77.4 94.2 64.5 77.2 93.8 64.3

Employed........................................................... 9,638 5,146 4,492 9,577 5,160 4,418

Employment-population ratio.................................. 69.5 85.7 57.2 70.1 87.0 57.2

Unemployed........................................................ 1,087 511 575 958 407 551

Unemployment rate............................................. 10.1 9.0 11.4 9.1 7.3 11.1

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 150,159 74,708 75,452 152,007 76,010 75,998

Civilian labor force................................................... 87,074 46,591 40,483 87,346 46,920 40,426

Participation rate................................................... 58.0 62.4 53.7 57.5 61.7 53.2

Employed........................................................... 78,115 40,983 37,131 78,983 41,814 37,170

Employment-population ratio.................................. 52.0 54.9 49.2 52.0 55.0 48.9

Unemployed........................................................ 8,960 5,608 3,352 8,363 5,107 3,256

Unemployment rate............................................. 10.3 12.0 8.3 9.6 10.9 8.1

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, 2010-2011 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2010 2011

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....................... 870 1,773 1,364 2,832 815 1,884 1,407 2,935

Civilian labor force....................................... 307 937 883 2,053 274 978 899 2,144

Participation rate...................................... 35.3 52.8 64.8 72.5 33.6 51.9 63.9 73.0

Employed.............................................. 282 851 818 1,935 243 897 832 2,019

Employment-population ratio..................... 32.4 48.0 60.0 68.3 29.9 47.6 59.1 68.8

Unemployed........................................... 25 85 66 118 30 81 67 125

Unemployment rate................................ 8.0 9.1 7.4 5.7 11.1 8.3 7.4 5.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 420 739 685 740 391 810 709 752

Civilian labor force....................................... 246 556 568 623 204 594 578 614

Participation rate...................................... 58.5 75.3 82.9 84.2 52.1 73.3 81.5 81.6

Employed.............................................. 203 481 508 570 163 516 512 556

Employment-population ratio..................... 48.3 65.1 74.2 77.1 41.7 63.7 72.2 74.0

Unemployed........................................... 43 75 60 53 41 78 66 57

Unemployment rate................................ 17.4 13.6 10.6 8.5 19.9 13.2 11.4 9.3

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 931 1,536 1,088 3,877 955 1,628 1,149 3,892

Civilian labor force....................................... 414 977 767 2,889 404 1,014 807 2,936

Participation rate...................................... 44.5 63.6 70.6 74.5 42.3 62.3 70.3 75.4

Employed.............................................. 368 901 703 2,724 366 935 749 2,785

Employment-population ratio..................... 39.5 58.6 64.7 70.3 38.3 57.4 65.2 71.6

Unemployed........................................... 46 76 64 165 39 79 58 150

Unemployment rate................................ 11.2 7.8 8.3 5.7 9.6 7.8 7.2 5.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 7,351 4,146 1,989 1,667 7,331 4,072 2,052 1,687

Civilian labor force....................................... 4,937 3,134 1,542 1,316 4,815 3,032 1,586 1,309

Participation rate...................................... 67.2 75.6 77.5 78.9 65.7 74.4 77.3 77.6

Employed.............................................. 4,341 2,802 1,383 1,225 4,294 2,746 1,437 1,221

Employment-population ratio..................... 59.1 67.6 69.5 73.5 58.6 67.4 70.0 72.4

Unemployed........................................... 595 332 159 91 521 286 149 88

Unemployment rate................................ 12.1 10.6 10.3 6.9 10.8 9.4 9.4 6.7

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 10,172 41,667 36,307 43,147 9,841 41,003 36,755 44,100

Civilian labor force....................................... 3,654 24,684 25,135 32,916 3,609 23,710 24,997 33,543

Participation rate...................................... 35.9 59.2 69.2 76.3 36.7 57.8 68.0 76.1

Employed.............................................. 3,086 22,458 23,275 31,582 3,103 21,813 23,315 32,316

Employment-population ratio..................... 30.3 53.9 64.1 73.2 31.5 53.2 63.4 73.3

Unemployed........................................... 568 2,225 1,860 1,334 506 1,897 1,682 1,226

Unemployment rate................................ 15.5 9.0 7.4 4.1 14.0 8.0 6.7 3.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 3,036 6,895 5,826 3,798 2,924 7,075 5,924 3,866

Civilian labor force....................................... 1,057 4,304 4,214 2,986 1,015 4,297 4,188 3,013

Participation rate...................................... 34.8 62.4 72.3 78.6 34.7 60.7 70.7 77.9

Employed.............................................. 798 3,605 3,682 2,752 745 3,613 3,635 2,810

Employment-population ratio..................... 26.3 52.3 63.2 72.5 25.5 51.1 61.4 72.7

Unemployed........................................... 259 698 532 235 270 684 553 203

Unemployment rate................................ 24.5 16.2 12.6 7.9 26.6 15.9 13.2 6.7

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 133 387 471 1,008 119 397 451 1,090

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, 2010-2011 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2010 2011

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....................................... 54 228 329 817 46 221 317 862

Participation rate...................................... 40.5 58.9 69.9 81.0 39.0 55.8 70.3 79.1

Employed.............................................. 49 212 304 777 41 207 292 814

Employment-population ratio..................... 37.1 54.7 64.6 77.1 34.9 52.1 64.8 74.7

Unemployed........................................... 4 16 25 40 5 15 25 48

Unemployment rate................................ 8.3 7.1 7.5 4.9 10.4 6.7 7.8 5.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population....................... 2,295 3,769 3,314 2,059 2,281 3,927 3,414 2,074

Civilian labor force....................................... 1,033 2,714 2,583 1,728 1,043 2,781 2,628 1,722

Participation rate...................................... 45.0 72.0 77.9 83.9 45.7 70.8 77.0 83.0

Employed.............................................. 842 2,373 2,343 1,637 862 2,470 2,393 1,636

Employment-population ratio..................... 36.7 63.0 70.7 79.5 37.8 62.9 70.1 78.9

Unemployed........................................... 191 342 240 91 181 311 235 86

Unemployment rate................................ 18.5 12.6 9.3 5.3 17.4 11.2 8.9 5.0

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, 2011

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)........................................ 22,183 13,120 9,063 117,686 61,170 56,516

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............ 28.6 26.5 31.6 39.3 36.1 42.7

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations...................................................... 11.0 11.2 10.7 16.3 17.7 14.8

Management occupations...................................... 7.6 8.5 6.3 11.5 13.6 9.3

Business and financial operations occupations............. 3.4 2.6 4.5 4.7 4.1 5.5

Professional and related occupations........................... 17.6 15.4 20.9 23.0 18.4 27.9

Computer and mathematical occupations................... 3.5 4.5 2.0 2.4 3.4 1.3

Architecture and engineering occupations................... 2.0 2.8 0.7 2.0 3.3 0.6

Life, physical, and social science occupations.............. 1.0 0.9 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.9

Community and social service occupations................. 0.9 0.7 1.2 1.8 1.2 2.5

Legal occupations............................................... 0.4 0.2 0.7 1.4 1.4 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations................. 3.7 2.1 5.9 6.6 3.3 10.3

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations................................................... 1.4 1.4 1.3 2.1 2.1 2.1

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations.......... 4.8 2.6 7.9 5.7 2.7 8.9

Service occupations.................................................. 24.6 19.3 32.2 16.4 13.7 19.4

Healthcare support occupations................................. 2.6 0.7 5.4 2.4 0.5 4.3

Protective service occupations................................... 0.9 1.3 0.4 2.5 3.9 1.1

Food preparation and serving related occupations............ 7.9 7.8 7.9 5.1 4.1 6.2

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations...................................................... 8.8 8.0 10.0 3.0 3.8 2.2

Personal care and service occupations......................... 4.3 1.5 8.4 3.4 1.4 5.6

Sales and office occupations....................................... 17.5 12.6 24.5 24.8 17.6 32.6

Sales and related occupations................................... 8.7 7.4 10.7 11.4 11.1 11.7

Office and administrative support occupations................. 8.7 5.2 13.8 13.4 6.6 20.8

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations......................................................... 13.5 21.8 1.5 8.5 15.7 0.7

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations..................... 1.9 2.4 1.0 0.5 0.8 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations....................... 8.5 14.1 0.3 4.5 8.3 0.2

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............. 3.2 5.2 0.2 3.6 6.6 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations... 15.8 19.8 10.1 11.0 16.9 4.7

Production occupations........................................... 8.7 9.3 7.7 5.3 7.5 2.9

Transportation and material moving occupations.............. 7.2 10.5 2.4 5.7 9.3 1.8

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Effective with January 2011 data, occupations reflect the

introduction of the 2010 Census occupational classification system into the Current Population Survey, or household survey. This classification system is

derived from the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been revised. Data for 2011 are not strictly comparable with

earlier years.
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native

born by selected characteristics, 2010-2011 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2010 2011

Foreign born Native born

Earnings

of foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born1

Foreign born Native born Earnings

of foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born1

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Total, 16 years and over.................. 16,253 $ 598 83,278 $ 771 77.5 16,441 $ 609 84,015 $ 780 78.0

Men....................................... 10,056 610 45,003 873 69.9 10,177 624 45,794 879 71.0

Women................................... 6,197 577 38,275 686 84.1 6,264 585 38,222 701 83.5

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 1,037 392 7,515 443 88.5 1,081 405 7,643 448 90.3

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,288 551 19,813 709 77.7 4,120 569 20,177 718 79.3

35 to 44 years.............................. 4,784 649 19,038 864 75.2 4,812 671 18,970 875 76.7

45 to 54 years.............................. 3,810 643 21,396 878 73.2 3,962 680 21,172 899 75.6

55 to 64 years.............................. 1,911 651 13,230 887 73.4 2,039 662 13,602 910 72.8

65 years and over......................... 422 584 2,287 708 82.4 429 621 2,452 760 81.8

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY2

White non-Hispanic or Latino............ 2,809 850 64,060 824 103.2 2,876 883 64,359 837 105.5

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 1,490 614 9,696 613 100.1 1,467 614 9,638 617 99.5

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............ 3,665 871 1,179 841 103.5 3,876 868 1,226 878 98.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............... 8,092 480 6,745 629 76.4 8,044 489 7,103 636 77.0

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 15,216 615 75,764 818 75.2 15,361 628 76,373 831 75.6

Less than a high school diploma. . . .. 3,895 416 3,258 486 85.5 3,822 417 3,197 497 83.9

High school graduates, no college3

.. 3,687 521 21,512 648 80.4 3,828 530 21,328 661 80.2

Some college or associate degree. .. 2,560 656 22,335 741 88.4 2,580 665 22,625 746 89.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher4....... 5,073 1,119 28,658 1,147 97.6 5,131 1,148 29,222 1,151 99.8

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

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

3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

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

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

region and division, 2010-2011 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2010 2011

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Total Participation rate

Employed

Unemployed

Number

Unemployment

rate

Number

Unemployment

rate

FOREIGN BORN

Northeast.................... 7,740 5,221 67.5 4,782 439 8.4 7,997 5,218 65.3 4,816 402 7.7

New England............. 1,465 1,013 69.2 923 90 8.9 1,525 1,025 67.2 946 78 7.7

Middle Atlantic........... 6,275 4,208 67.1 3,859 349 8.3 6,471 4,194 64.8 3,870 323 7.7

South........................ 11,241 7,760 69.0 7,063 697 9.0 11,490 7,886 68.6 7,216 669 8.5

South Atlantic............ 6,556 4,534 69.2 4,075 459 10.1 6,722 4,622 68.8 4,202 420 9.1

East South Central. . . . .. 604 437 72.4 405 31 7.2 575 423 73.5 380 43 10.1

West South Central. . . .. 4,082 2,789 68.3 2,583 206 7.4 4,193 2,841 67.8 2,634 207 7.3

Midwest...................... 3,951 2,691 68.1 2,428 263 9.8 4,039 2,732 67.6 2,509 223 8.2

East North Central. . . . .. 3,018 2,029 67.2 1,827 203 10.0 3,077 2,045 66.5 1,878 167 8.2

West North Central...... 933 662 70.9 601 61 9.2 962 687 71.4 631 56 8.1

West......................... 12,937 8,684 67.1 7,696 988 11.4 12,895 8,555 66.3 7,641 914 10.7

Mountain.................. 2,216 1,463 66.0 1,300 163 11.1 2,257 1,517 67.2 1,368 149 9.8

Pacific..................... 10,721 7,221 67.3 6,395 825 11.4 10,638 7,038 66.2 6,273 765 10.9

NATIVE BORN

Northeast.................... 36,130 23,093 63.9 21,081 2,011 8.7 36,032 22,936 63.7 21,042 1,894 8.3

New England............. 10,071 6,744 67.0 6,174 570 8.4 10,080 6,716 66.6 6,193 522 7.8

Middle Atlantic........... 26,059 16,349 62.7 14,907 1,441 8.8 25,952 16,220 62.5 14,848 1,372 8.5

South........................ 75,818 47,446 62.6 42,984 4,462 9.4 76,459 47,613 62.3 43,387 4,226 8.9

South Atlantic............ 39,475 24,735 62.7 22,286 2,449 9.9 39,759 24,741 62.2 22,449 2,292 9.3

East South Central. . . . .. 13,529 8,176 60.4 7,337 839 10.3 13,645 8,284 60.7 7,489 796 9.6

West South Central. . . .. 22,814 14,535 63.7 13,361 1,174 8.1 23,055 14,588 63.3 13,449 1,139 7.8

Midwest...................... 47,955 31,840 66.4 28,843 2,996 9.4 48,066 31,586 65.7 28,939 2,647 8.4

East North Central. . . . .. 33,128 21,572 65.1 19,313 2,259 10.5 33,149 21,261 64.1 19,285 1,976 9.3

West North Central...... 14,827 10,268 69.2 9,530 737 7.2 14,917 10,325 69.2 9,653 672 6.5

West......................... 42,058 27,154 64.6 24,187 2,968 10.9 42,640 27,090 63.5 24,319 2,771 10.2

Mountain.................. 14,628 9,614 65.7 8,699 914 9.5 14,783 9,533 64.5 8,694 839 8.8

Pacific..................... 27,429 17,541 63.9 15,487 2,053 11.7 27,856 17,557 63.0 15,625 1,932 11.0

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

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

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

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

(Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota); Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,

Utah, and Wyoming); Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release

of January data.