For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, May 16, 2019 USDL-19-0812 

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 — 2018

The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 3.5 percent in 2018, down 

from 4.1 percent in 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of nativeborn persons was 4.0 percent in 2018, down from 4.4 percent in 2017. 

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 not U.S. citizens at birth. Specifically, they were born outside the United States (or one of its 

outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam), and neither parent was a U.S. citizen. The foreign born 

include legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary 

workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey does not separately identify persons in these 

categories, however. For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note in this news 

release.

Highlights from the 2018 data: 

• In 2018, there were 28.2 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 17.4 

percent of the total. (See table 1.)

• Hispanics accounted for nearly half of the foreign-born labor force in 2018, and Asians 

accounted for one-quarter. (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 men were more likely to participate in the labor force than native-born men (77.9 

percent versus 67.3 percent), while foreign-born women were less likely to participate than 

native-born women (54.3 percent versus 57.6 percent). (See table 1.)

• 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 $758 

in 2018, compared with $910 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 composition of the foreign-born labor force differs from that of the native-born labor 

force. In 2018, men accounted for 57.5 percent of the foreign-born labor force, compared with 52.2 

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 (73.2 percent) was higher than for the native-born labor force (62.0 percent). Labor 

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

In 2018, nearly half (47.7 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and one-quarter (25.1 

percent) was Asian. Hispanics and Asians made up much lower percentages of the native-born labor 

force, at 11.1 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. About 16.6 percent of the foreign-born labor force 

was White and 9.5 percent was Black, compared with 71.7 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively, of the 

native-born labor force. 

In terms of educational attainment, the proportion of the foreign-born labor force age 25 and over that 

had not completed high school was 21.2 percent in 2018, much higher than the figure for the native-born 

labor force, at 4.1 percent. The foreign born were less likely than the native born to have some college or 

an associate degree—16.8 percent versus 28.9 percent. The proportions for foreign-born and native-born 

high school graduates (25.1 percent versus 25.6 percent) and those with a bachelor's degree or higher 

(36.9 percent versus 41.4 percent) were more similar. 

Labor Force 

In 2018, the share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born increased to 17.4 percent from 

17.1 percent in 2017. (See table 1.) The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 

13.3 percent in 2000. 

In 2018, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was 65.7 percent, little changed from the 

prior year. The participation rate for the native born was 62.3 percent, about unchanged from 2017. 

Foreign-born men continued to participate in the labor force at a considerably higher rate (77.9 percent) 

in 2018 than their native-born counterparts (67.3 percent). In contrast, 54.3 percent of foreign-born 

women were labor force participants, somewhat lower than the rate of 57.6 percent for native-born 

women. 

Labor force participation rates for the foreign-born varied across the major race and ethnicity groups in 

2018, ranging from 59.7 percent for foreign-born Whites to 70.8 percent for foreign-born Blacks. By 

contrast, participation rates for the native born showed less variation across race and ethnicity groups, 

ranging from 60.9 percent for native-born Blacks to 64.5 percent for native-born Hispanics. Across all 

race and ethnicity groups, participation rates showed little or no change from 2017 to 2018 for both the 

foreign born and the native born. 

In 2018, foreign-born mothers with children under age 18 were less likely to be labor force participants 

than were native-born mothers—61.0 percent versus 74.7 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. Among women with children under age 6, the participation rate for 

foreign-born mothers was 50.8 percent, 18.6 percentage points below that for native-born mothers, at 

69.4 percent. In comparison, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born mothers with children 

ages 6 to 17 (68.4 percent) was 10.5 percentage points lower than that for native-born mothers with 

children ages 6 to 17 (78.9 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign-born and native-born 
- 3 - 

fathers with children under age 18 were more similar, at 93.8 percent 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 (24.4 percent) and in 

the Northeast (20.1 percent) in 2018 than for the nation as a whole (17.4 percent). In contrast, the 

foreign born made up a smaller share of the labor force than for the nation as a whole in the South (16.2 

percent) and the Midwest (9.4 percent). (See table 6.) 

Unemployment

The unemployment rate of the foreign born declined from 4.1 percent to 3.5 percent from 2017 to 2018, 

and the jobless rate for the native born fell from 4.4 percent to 4.0 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 rates for foreign-born men and women were 3.0 percent and 4.1 

percent, respectively, and the jobless rates for native-born men and women were 4.2 percent and 3.8 

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 in 2018 (4.6 percent). The 

unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for Hispanics, 3.4 percent for Whites, and 2.6 percent for Asians. 

Among the native born, Blacks also had the highest jobless rate (6.8 percent), followed by Hispanics 

(5.5 percent), Asians (3.8 percent), and Whites (3.2 percent). 

Occupation

In 2018, foreign-born workers continued to be more likely than native-born workers to be employed in 

service occupations (23.3 percent versus 15.9 percent); natural resources, construction, and maintenance 

occupations (14.0 percent versus 8.3 percent); and production, transportation, and material moving 

occupations (15.0 percent versus 11.3 percent). (See table 4.) 

As in past years, native-born workers were more likely than foreign-born workers to be employed in 

management, professional, and related occupations (41.6 percent versus 32.7 percent) and sales and 

office occupations (22.9 percent versus 14.9 percent). 

In 2018, employed foreign-born men and women were more likely than their native-born counterparts to 

work in service occupations; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and 

production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Among men, the employment disparity 

was especially great in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations—22.8 percent of 

the foreign born versus 15.1 percent of the native born. The disparity for women was most pronounced 

in service occupations—32.5 percent of the foreign born worked in that occupation group, compared 

with 19.0 percent of the native born. By contrast, employed native-born men and women were more 

likely than their foreign-born counterparts to work in management, professional, and related occupations 

and in sales and office occupations. 

Earnings 

In 2018, median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers ($758) were 

83.3 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($910). Among men, median weekly 

earnings for the foreign born ($815) were 80.9 percent of the earnings of the native born ($1,007). 
- 4 - 

Median earnings for foreign-born women ($678) were 83.7 percent of the earnings of native-born 

women ($810). (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.

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Hispanic foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers 

earned 83.8 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2018. For Black workers, earnings for 

the foreign born and the native born were almost the same. White and Asian foreign-born workers 

earned more than their native-born counterparts. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2018, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma earned $535 per week, while those 

with a bachelor's degree and higher earned about 2.5 times as much—$1,362 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 diploma—$1,309 versus $578 per week. 

Native-born workers earn more than the foreign born at most educational attainment levels. However, 

there is a relatively small gap between the earnings of foreign-born and native-born workers for those 

with a bachelor's degree and higher. For example, among high school graduates (no college), full-time 

workers who were foreign born earned 83.8 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2018. 

Among those with a bachelor's degree and higher, the earnings of foreign-born workers ($1,362) were 

slightly higher than the earnings of native-born workers ($1,309). 
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. 

Specifically, they were born outside the United States 

(or one of its outlying areas such as Guam or 

Puerto Rico), and neither parent 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,

2017-2018 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2017 2018

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255,079 160,320 62.9 153,337 6,982 4.4 257,791 162,075 62.9 155,761 6,314 3.9

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123,275 85,145 69.1 81,402 3,743 4.4 124,678 86,096 69.1 82,698 3,398 3.9

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131,804 75,175 57.0 71,936 3,239 4.3 133,112 75,978 57.1 73,063 2,916 3.8

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,500 27,373 66.0 26,254 1,119 4.1 42,898 28,202 65.7 27,217 986 3.5

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,135 15,735 78.1 15,171 564 3.6 20,803 16,203 77.9 15,714 488 3.0

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,365 11,638 54.5 11,083 555 4.8 22,095 12,000 54.3 11,502 497 4.1

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,547 1,886 53.2 1,727 159 8.4 3,443 1,761 51.2 1,638 124 7.0

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,820 5,898 75.4 5,656 242 4.1 7,946 6,092 76.7 5,877 215 3.5

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,189 7,299 79.4 7,043 256 3.5 9,499 7,520 79.2 7,302 219 2.9

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,481 6,826 80.5 6,592 234 3.4 8,715 7,044 80.8 6,844 200 2.8

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,146 4,209 68.5 4,040 169 4.0 6,542 4,425 67.6 4,255 170 3.8

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,317 1,256 19.9 1,196 60 4.8 6,754 1,360 20.1 1,301 58 4.3

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,524 4,503 59.9 4,324 179 4.0 7,837 4,676 59.7 4,517 160 3.4

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,599 2,575 71.5 2,430 145 5.6 3,786 2,682 70.8 2,560 122 4.6

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,738 6,903 64.3 6,684 220 3.2 11,118 7,082 63.7 6,895 187 2.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,174 13,098 68.3 12,540 558 4.3 19,683 13,457 68.4 12,950 507 3.8

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,953 25,488 67.2 24,527 961 3.8 39,455 26,441 67.0 25,579 862 3.3

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 9,510 5,566 58.5 5,309 257 4.6 9,616 5,607 58.3 5,378 229 4.1

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 9,697 6,412 66.1 6,160 252 3.9 10,127 6,629 65.5 6,415 214 3.2

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 6,070 4,273 70.4 4,116 156 3.7 6,366 4,448 69.9 4,301 147 3.3

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 12,677 9,237 72.9 8,942 294 3.2 13,347 9,758 73.1 9,485 273 2.8

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213,579 132,946 62.2 127,083 5,863 4.4 214,892 133,872 62.3 128,544 5,328 4.0

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103,140 69,410 67.3 66,231 3,179 4.6 103,875 69,894 67.3 66,984 2,910 4.2

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110,439 63,536 57.5 60,852 2,684 4.2 111,018 63,979 57.6 61,560 2,418 3.8

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,603 19,275 55.7 17,479 1,796 9.3 34,561 19,223 55.6 17,539 1,684 8.8

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,138 30,187 83.5 28,782 1,405 4.7 36,635 30,682 83.8 29,447 1,235 4.0

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,763 25,735 83.7 24,849 886 3.4 31,071 26,099 84.0 25,315 784 3.0

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,306 26,737 80.3 25,911 827 3.1 32,525 26,267 80.8 25,529 738 2.8

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,544 22,690 63.8 22,024 666 2.9 35,572 22,929 64.5 22,310 619 2.7

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,225 8,321 19.3 8,038 283 3.4 44,529 8,673 19.5 8,404 269 3.1

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154,598 96,148 62.2 92,779 3,369 3.5 154,396 95,991 62.2 92,952 3,038 3.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,764 16,239 60.7 14,965 1,274 7.8 27,076 16,484 60.9 15,355 1,129 6.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,219 2,614 62.0 2,515 99 3.8 4,408 2,761 62.6 2,657 104 3.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,197 14,242 64.2 13,398 843 5.9 23,051 14,879 64.5 14,063 816 5.5

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178,976 113,672 63.5 109,604 4,067 3.6 180,332 114,650 63.6 111,005 3,644 3.2

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 13,128 4,776 36.4 4,359 417 8.7 12,635 4,671 37.0 4,323 347 7.4

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 52,496 29,462 56.1 28,050 1,412 4.8 52,465 29,382 56.0 28,135 1,247 4.2

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 51,191 33,424 65.3 32,166 1,257 3.8 51,038 33,138 64.9 32,036 1,101 3.3

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 62,161 46,009 74.0 45,029 981 2.1 64,193 47,459 73.9 46,511 949 2.0

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, 2017-2018 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2017 2018

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 15,292 7,162 8,130 15,770 7,446 8,324

Civilian labor force.................................................. 11,557 6,669 4,888 12,062 6,984 5,078

Participation rate.................................................. 75.6 93.1 60.1 76.5 93.8 61.0

Employed.......................................................... 11,141 6,481 4,660 11,675 6,815 4,860

Employment-population ratio................................. 72.9 90.5 57.3 74.0 91.5 58.4

Unemployed....................................................... 416 187 228 387 168 219

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.6 2.8 4.7 3.2 2.4 4.3

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 8,682 3,966 4,716 8,948 4,120 4,827

Civilian labor force.................................................. 6,848 3,660 3,188 7,127 3,824 3,303

Participation rate.................................................. 78.9 92.3 67.6 79.7 92.8 68.4

Employed.......................................................... 6,606 3,562 3,044 6,904 3,733 3,171

Employment-population ratio................................. 76.1 89.8 64.5 77.2 90.6 65.7

Unemployed....................................................... 243 99 144 223 91 132

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.5 2.7 4.5 3.1 2.4 4.0

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 6,609 3,196 3,414 6,823 3,326 3,497

Civilian labor force.................................................. 4,709 3,008 1,700 4,935 3,160 1,775

Participation rate.................................................. 71.2 94.1 49.8 72.3 95.0 50.8

Employed.......................................................... 4,536 2,920 1,616 4,771 3,082 1,689

Employment-population ratio................................. 68.6 91.4 47.3 69.9 92.7 48.3

Unemployed....................................................... 173 88 85 164 77 87

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.7 2.9 5.0 3.3 2.4 4.9

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 3,600 1,764 1,836 3,720 1,828 1,892

Civilian labor force.................................................. 2,478 1,662 816 2,589 1,732 857

Participation rate.................................................. 68.8 94.2 44.4 69.6 94.8 45.3

Employed.......................................................... 2,383 1,609 774 2,504 1,695 809

Employment-population ratio................................. 66.2 91.2 42.2 67.3 92.7 42.8

Unemployed....................................................... 95 53 42 85 37 48

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.8 3.2 5.1 3.3 2.2 5.6

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 26,209 12,974 13,235 27,128 13,357 13,771

Civilian labor force.................................................. 15,816 9,066 6,750 16,140 9,219 6,921

Participation rate.................................................. 60.3 69.9 51.0 59.5 69.0 50.3

Employed.......................................................... 15,113 8,690 6,423 15,542 8,899 6,643

Employment-population ratio................................. 57.7 67.0 48.5 57.3 66.6 48.2

Unemployed....................................................... 704 377 327 599 320 279

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.4 4.2 4.8 3.7 3.5 4.0

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 48,896 21,578 27,318 48,464 21,467 26,998

Civilian labor force.................................................. 40,318 19,993 20,325 40,144 19,984 20,161

Participation rate.................................................. 82.5 92.7 74.4 82.8 93.1 74.7

Employed.......................................................... 38,895 19,438 19,457 38,915 19,501 19,414

Employment-population ratio................................. 79.5 90.1 71.2 80.3 90.8 71.9

Unemployed....................................................... 1,423 555 868 1,229 483 746

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.5 2.8 4.3 3.1 2.4 3.7

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 27,604 12,187 15,416 26,933 11,874 15,059

Civilian labor force.................................................. 23,212 11,152 12,060 22,810 10,929 11,880

Participation rate.................................................. 84.1 91.5 78.2 84.7 92.0 78.9

Employed.......................................................... 22,458 10,866 11,591 22,193 10,696 11,497

Employment-population ratio................................. 81.4 89.2 75.2 82.4 90.1 76.3
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, 2017-2018 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2017 2018

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed....................................................... 754 286 468 617 233 384

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.2 2.6 3.9 2.7 2.1 3.2

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 21,292 9,391 11,901 21,532 9,593 11,939

Civilian labor force.................................................. 17,106 8,841 8,265 17,335 9,055 8,280

Participation rate.................................................. 80.3 94.1 69.4 80.5 94.4 69.4

Employed.......................................................... 16,437 8,572 7,866 16,723 8,805 7,918

Employment-population ratio................................. 77.2 91.3 66.1 77.7 91.8 66.3

Unemployed....................................................... 669 269 399 612 249 363

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.9 3.0 4.8 3.5 2.8 4.4

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 12,690 5,649 7,041 12,556 5,623 6,933

Civilian labor force.................................................. 10,060 5,348 4,712 9,932 5,328 4,605

Participation rate.................................................. 79.3 94.7 66.9 79.1 94.8 66.4

Employed.......................................................... 9,661 5,185 4,476 9,576 5,174 4,401

Employment-population ratio................................. 76.1 91.8 63.6 76.3 92.0 63.5

Unemployed....................................................... 399 163 236 357 153 204

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.0 3.1 5.0 3.6 2.9 4.4

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 164,683 81,562 83,121 166,428 82,408 84,020

Civilian labor force.................................................. 92,629 49,417 43,211 93,728 49,910 43,818

Participation rate.................................................. 56.2 60.6 52.0 56.3 60.6 52.2

Employed.......................................................... 88,188 46,793 41,395 89,629 47,483 42,146

Employment-population ratio................................. 53.6 57.4 49.8 53.9 57.6 50.2

Unemployed....................................................... 4,441 2,625 1,816 4,099 2,427 1,672

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.8 5.3 4.2 4.4 4.9 3.8

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, 2017-2018 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2017 2018

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..................... 574 1,653 1,364 3,445 644 1,708 1,361 3,617

Civilian labor force..................................... 206 841 812 2,409 250 849 817 2,515

Participation rate.................................... 35.9 50.9 59.6 69.9 38.9 49.7 60.0 69.5

Employed............................................. 193 803 779 2,341 238 823 791 2,440

Employment-population ratio.................... 33.7 48.6 57.1 68.0 36.9 48.2 58.1 67.5

Unemployed.......................................... 13 39 33 68 12 26 27 75

Unemployment rate.............................. 6.3 4.6 4.1 2.8 4.9 3.1 3.3 3.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 388 895 798 1,113 391 946 908 1,156

Civilian labor force..................................... 210 628 612 911 196 666 684 950

Participation rate.................................... 54.3 70.1 76.7 81.9 50.3 70.4 75.3 82.1

Employed............................................. 197 593 585 866 187 637 653 911

Employment-population ratio.................... 50.7 66.3 73.2 77.8 47.8 67.4 71.9 78.8

Unemployed.......................................... 14 35 27 45 10 28 31 38

Unemployment rate.............................. 6.5 5.5 4.5 5.0 4.9 4.2 4.5 4.0

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 1,052 1,932 1,381 5,515 1,015 1,955 1,402 5,844

Civilian labor force..................................... 421 1,185 940 3,983 403 1,145 934 4,257

Participation rate.................................... 40.0 61.3 68.1 72.2 39.7 58.6 66.7 72.8

Employed............................................. 404 1,154 909 3,864 393 1,121 910 4,152

Employment-population ratio.................... 38.4 59.7 65.8 70.1 38.7 57.3 64.9 71.0

Unemployed.......................................... 17 31 31 120 10 24 24 106

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.0 2.6 3.3 3.0 2.5 2.1 2.6 2.5

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,438 5,108 2,433 2,458 7,514 5,410 2,577 2,585

Civilian labor force..................................... 4,698 3,694 1,850 1,824 4,730 3,908 1,930 1,923

Participation rate.................................... 63.2 72.3 76.0 74.2 62.9 72.2 74.9 74.4

Employed............................................. 4,488 3,551 1,789 1,766 4,534 3,777 1,867 1,870

Employment-population ratio.................... 60.3 69.5 73.5 71.8 60.3 69.8 72.4 72.4

Unemployed.......................................... 210 143 61 58 196 131 63 53

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.5 3.9 3.3 3.2 4.1 3.4 3.2 2.7

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,804 38,295 37,581 50,848 7,423 37,857 37,328 52,012

Civilian labor force..................................... 2,713 20,767 23,817 37,050 2,641 20,379 23,507 37,817

Participation rate.................................... 34.8 54.2 63.4 72.9 35.6 53.8 63.0 72.7

Employed............................................. 2,524 19,959 23,057 36,326 2,479 19,670 22,855 37,117

Employment-population ratio.................... 32.3 52.1 61.4 71.4 33.4 52.0 61.2 71.4

Unemployed.......................................... 189 808 760 724 162 708 652 700

Unemployment rate.............................. 7.0 3.9 3.2 2.0 6.1 3.5 2.8 1.9

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,486 7,507 6,754 5,065 2,427 7,487 6,713 5,555

Civilian labor force..................................... 785 4,355 4,632 3,888 782 4,340 4,571 4,259

Participation rate.................................... 31.6 58.0 68.6 76.8 32.2 58.0 68.1 76.7

Employed............................................. 663 3,998 4,352 3,766 684 4,029 4,324 4,146

Employment-population ratio.................... 26.7 53.3 64.4 74.4 28.2 53.8 64.4 74.6

Unemployed.......................................... 123 357 280 122 98 311 247 112

Unemployment rate.............................. 15.6 8.2 6.0 3.1 12.6 7.2 5.4 2.6

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 141 476 610 1,714 164 516 602 1,854

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, 2017-2018 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2017 2018

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..................................... 54 279 420 1,355 69 309 414 1,468

Participation rate.................................... 38.4 58.6 68.9 79.1 41.8 60.0 68.7 79.2

Employed............................................. 52 269 407 1,329 65 299 400 1,440

Employment-population ratio.................... 36.8 56.6 66.8 77.5 39.7 58.0 66.4 77.7

Unemployed.......................................... 2 10 13 26 4 10 14 28

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.3 3.5 3.1 1.9 5.1 3.4 3.3 1.9

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,291 4,904 4,787 3,422 2,223 5,227 4,903 3,613

Civilian labor force..................................... 1,057 3,273 3,556 2,837 1,023 3,531 3,624 2,989

Participation rate.................................... 46.1 66.7 74.3 82.9 46.0 67.6 73.9 82.7

Employed............................................. 974 3,091 3,407 2,759 954 3,369 3,487 2,900

Employment-population ratio.................... 42.5 63.0 71.2 80.6 42.9 64.5 71.1 80.3

Unemployed.......................................... 83 182 149 78 69 162 137 88

Unemployment rate.............................. 7.8 5.6 4.2 2.7 6.8 4.6 3.8 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, 2018

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)....................................... 27,217 15,714 11,502 128,544 66,984 61,560

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........... 32.7 30.7 35.5 41.6 38.0 45.6

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations..................................................... 12.3 12.4 12.1 17.5 18.7 16.2

Management occupations.................................... 8.5 9.3 7.5 12.4 14.2 10.5

Business and financial operations occupations............ 3.7 3.1 4.6 5.1 4.5 5.8

Professional and related occupations.......................... 20.5 18.4 23.4 24.1 19.3 29.4

Computer and mathematical occupations.................. 5.1 6.6 3.0 2.9 4.1 1.6

Architecture and engineering occupations.................. 2.2 3.2 0.9 2.1 3.4 0.7

Life, physical, and social science occupations............. 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.9

Community and social service occupations................ 0.9 0.6 1.3 1.9 1.2 2.6

Legal occupations............................................. 0.6 0.4 0.8 1.4 1.3 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations................ 3.7 2.2 5.7 6.5 3.2 10.0

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations.................................................. 1.4 1.3 1.6 2.3 2.4 2.2

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations....... 5.4 2.9 8.8 6.2 2.8 9.8

Service occupations................................................ 23.3 16.6 32.5 15.9 13.1 19.0

Healthcare support occupations................................ 2.7 0.6 5.5 2.3 0.6 4.1

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

Food preparation and serving related occupations.......... 6.7 6.1 7.6 5.0 4.0 6.0

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations..................................................... 8.2 6.9 10.0 2.8 3.5 2.1

Personal care and service occupations....................... 4.8 1.8 8.9 3.6 1.6 5.8

Sales and office occupations...................................... 14.9 11.2 19.9 22.9 16.8 29.5

Sales and related occupations.................................. 7.7 6.9 8.7 10.7 10.3 11.1

Office and administrative support occupations............... 7.2 4.3 11.2 12.2 6.5 18.4

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations........................................................ 14.0 22.8 2.0 8.3 15.1 0.8

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.................... 1.6 2.0 1.1 0.5 0.8 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations...................... 9.5 15.9 0.7 4.5 8.3 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations........... 2.9 4.9 0.2 3.3 6.1 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving

occupations........................................................ 15.0 18.6 10.1 11.3 16.9 5.1

Production occupations.......................................... 7.4 7.9 6.7 5.1 7.3 2.8

Transportation and material moving occupations............ 7.6 10.7 3.4 6.1 9.6 2.3

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, 2017-2018 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2017 2018

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.................. 19,914 $730 93,358 $885 82.5 20,627 $758 94,939 $910 83.3

Men........................................ 12,123 776 50,857 978 79.3 12,469 815 51,673 1,007 80.9

Women.................................... 7,791 660 42,501 788 83.8 8,158 678 43,266 810 83.7

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 1,065 506 9,216 521 97.1 993 522 9,436 551 94.7

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,610 701 23,586 786 89.2 4,668 752 24,207 819 91.8

35 to 44 years.............................. 5,560 790 20,102 1,003 78.8 5,803 802 20,648 1,035 77.5

45 to 54 years.............................. 5,009 760 20,642 1,019 74.6 5,215 779 20,351 1,059 73.6

55 to 64 years.............................. 2,958 765 16,199 1,007 76.0 3,154 774 16,430 1,035 74.8

65 years and over.......................... 712 721 3,615 937 76.9 795 733 3,867 977 75.0

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY1

White non-Hispanic or Latino............. 3,040 1,080 67,242 955 113.1 3,135 1,083 67,771 986 109.8

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 1,885 682 11,669 683 99.9 2,023 699 12,109 697 100.3

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............. 5,189 1,076 1,943 1,007 106.9 5,387 1,129 2,041 1,065 106.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................ 9,579 596 10,036 724 82.3 9,852 621 10,445 741 83.8

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 18,848 751 84,142 937 80.1 19,635 775 85,503 965 80.3

Less than a high school diploma. . . . .. 4,113 506 2,925 560 90.4 4,097 535 2,902 578 92.6

High school graduates, no college2

. .. 4,539 619 21,472 734 84.3 4,879 632 21,358 754 83.8

Some college or associate degree. . .. 3,003 727 24,384 808 90.0 3,125 755 24,350 837 90.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher3......... 7,193 1,340 35,362 1,271 105.4 7,534 1,362 36,893 1,309 104.0

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 6. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by census

region and division, 2017-2018 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2017 2018

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................... 8,623 5,586 64.8 5,326 260 4.7 8,914 5,787 64.9 5,576 212 3.7

New England............ 1,939 1,311 67.6 1,247 64 4.9 1,976 1,372 69.4 1,318 54 3.9

Middle Atlantic.......... 6,684 4,275 64.0 4,079 196 4.6 6,938 4,416 63.6 4,258 158 3.6

South....................... 14,232 9,554 67.1 9,214 340 3.6 14,562 9,719 66.7 9,405 314 3.2

South Atlantic........... 8,400 5,669 67.5 5,452 217 3.8 8,633 5,766 66.8 5,583 183 3.2

East South Central. . . .. 716 494 68.9 476 17 3.5 748 510 68.2 492 18 3.6

West South Central. . .. 5,116 3,391 66.3 3,285 106 3.1 5,181 3,443 66.5 3,330 113 3.3

Midwest..................... 4,451 3,051 68.5 2,929 122 4.0 4,907 3,289 67.0 3,178 111 3.4

East North Central. . . .. 3,239 2,180 67.3 2,102 78 3.6 3,584 2,351 65.6 2,273 78 3.3

West North Central..... 1,212 871 71.9 827 44 5.0 1,323 938 70.9 905 33 3.5

West........................ 14,194 9,183 64.7 8,785 397 4.3 14,515 9,407 64.8 9,058 349 3.7

Mountain................. 2,688 1,793 66.7 1,710 83 4.6 2,766 1,850 66.9 1,788 62 3.3

Pacific.................... 11,506 7,390 64.2 7,075 315 4.3 11,749 7,558 64.3 7,270 287 3.8

NATIVE BORN

Northeast................... 36,630 22,924 62.6 21,905 1,019 4.4 36,657 22,937 62.6 21,996 941 4.1

New England............ 10,074 6,614 65.7 6,364 250 3.8 10,143 6,721 66.3 6,488 232 3.5

Middle Atlantic.......... 26,557 16,310 61.4 15,541 769 4.7 26,513 16,217 61.2 15,508 709 4.4

South....................... 81,780 49,496 60.5 47,274 2,222 4.5 82,746 50,181 60.6 48,209 1,972 3.9

South Atlantic........... 42,584 25,865 60.7 24,727 1,138 4.4 43,140 26,161 60.6 25,162 999 3.8

East South Central. . . .. 14,160 8,217 58.0 7,848 369 4.5 14,224 8,289 58.3 7,954 335 4.0

West South Central. . .. 25,036 15,414 61.6 14,698 716 4.6 25,382 15,731 62.0 15,093 638 4.1

Midwest..................... 48,973 31,679 64.7 30,369 1,310 4.1 48,821 31,589 64.7 30,415 1,174 3.7

East North Central. . . .. 33,663 21,403 63.6 20,431 972 4.5 33,510 21,324 63.6 20,452 872 4.1

West North Central..... 15,310 10,277 67.1 9,938 339 3.3 15,311 10,265 67.0 9,963 301 2.9

West........................ 46,196 28,847 62.4 27,536 1,311 4.5 46,669 29,164 62.5 27,923 1,241 4.3

Mountain................. 15,968 10,121 63.4 9,718 404 4.0 16,220 10,341 63.8 9,920 421 4.1

Pacific.................... 30,229 18,726 61.9 17,818 908 4.8 30,449 18,824 61.8 18,003 820 4.4

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.