For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, May 19, 2016 USDL-16-0989 

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 — 2015 

The unemployment rate for foreign-born persons in the United States was 4.9 percent in 2015, down 

from 5.6 percent in 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of nativeborn persons fell to 5.4 percent from 6.3 percent in the prior year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Technical Note in this news release. 

Highlights from the 2015 data: 

• In 2015, there were 26.3 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 16.7 

percent of the total. (See table 1.)

• Hispanics accounted for 48.8 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2015 and Asians 

accounted for 24.1 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; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and production, 

transportation, and material moving occupations. Native-born workers were more likely than 

foreign-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations and 

sales and office occupations. (See table 4.)

• The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $681 

in 2015, compared with $837 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.)
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Demographic Characteristics

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

force. In 2015, men accounted for 58.3 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 (73.7 percent) was higher than for the native-born labor force (62.5 percent). Labor

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

In 2015, nearly half (48.8 percent) of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic, and almost one-quarter 

(24.1 percent) was Asian, compared with 10.2 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively, of the native-born 

labor force. About 16.8 percent of the foreign-born labor force was White and 9.2 percent was Black, 

compared with 73.4 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. 

In 2015, 23.9 percent of the foreign-born labor force age 25 and over had not completed high school, 

compared with 4.6 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—16.9 percent versus 29.9 percent. The 

proportions for foreign-born and native-born persons that had a bachelor’s degree and higher were more 

similar, at 34.9 percent and 39.1 percent, respectively.

Labor Force 

The share of the U.S. civilian labor force that was foreign born was 16.7 percent in 2015; it was 16.5 

percent in 2014. (See table 1.)

In 2015, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was 65.2 percent, down from 66.0 percent 

in the prior year. The participation rate for the native born edged down to 62.2 percent in 2015. 

The participation rate of foreign-born men was 78.2 percent in 2015, higher than the rate of 67.3 percent 

for native-born men. In contrast, 52.9 percent of foreign-born women were labor force participants, 

lower than the rate of 57.4 percent for native-born women. 

Among the major race and ethnicity groups in 2015, labor force participation rates for foreign-born 

Asians and Hispanics declined to 62.6 percent and 68.2 percent, respectively. The rates for foreign-born 

Whites (58.7 percent) and Blacks (70.8 percent) were little different from the prior year. In comparison, 

the participation rate for native-born Whites (62.3 percent) declined in 2015, while the rates for Blacks 

(60.0 percent), Asians (62.4 percent), and Hispanics (63.9 percent) showed little change. 

In 2015, foreign-born mothers with children under 18 years old were less likely to be labor force 

participants than were native-born mothers—57.8 percent versus 73.4 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 48.8 percent in 2015, much lower than that for native-born 

mothers with children under age 6, at 68.6 percent. Among women with children under age 3, the 

participation rate for the foreign born (45.0 percent) was 20.7 percentage points below that for 

native-born mothers (65.7 percent). The labor force participation rates of foreign-born and native-born 

fathers with children under age 18 were more similar, at 93.6 percent and 92.4 percent, respectively. 

(See table 2.) 
- 3 - 

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

the Northeast (19.5 percent) than for the nation as a whole (16.7 percent) in 2015. In contrast, the 

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

(15.5 percent) and Midwest (8.7 percent). (See table 6.)

Unemployment

From 2014 to 2015, the unemployment rate of the foreign born declined from 5.6 percent to 4.9 percent, 

and the jobless rate for the native born fell from 6.3 percent to 5.4 percent. The over-the-year decrease in 

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

men and women. The unemployment rate for foreign-born men fell from 5.0 percent to 4.5 percent, and 

the rate for foreign-born women declined from 6.5 percent to 5.6 percent. Among the native born, the 

rate for men fell from 6.5 percent to 5.6 percent, while the rate for women was down from 6.0 percent to 

5.1 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 (7.4 percent) in 2015. The 

unemployment rates were 5.4 percent for Hispanics, 4.0 percent for Whites, and 3.7 percent for Asians. 

Among the native born, Blacks also had the highest jobless rate (9.9 percent) in 2015, followed by 

Hispanics (7.8 percent). The unemployment rates were 4.3 percent for Asians and 4.2 percent for 

Whites. 

Occupation

In 2015, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service 

occupations (23.4 percent versus 16.2 percent); production, transportation, and material moving 

occupations (15.4 percent versus 11.1 percent); and natural resources, construction, and maintenance 

occupations (13.8 percent versus 8.3 percent). (See table 4.) 

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

professional, and related occupations (40.6 percent versus 30.8 percent) and sales and office occupations 

(23.8 percent versus 16.6 percent). 

Foreign-born men were more likely than their native-born counterparts to work in natural resources, 

construction, and maintenance occupations and in service occupations. Compared with native-born 

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

transportation, and material moving occupations. Among women, the disparity was especially great in 

service occupations; 32.1 percent of foreign-born women worked in service occupations in 2015, 

compared with 19.2 percent of native-born women. Native-born men and women workers were more 

likely than their foreign-born counterparts to be employed in management, professional, and related 

occupations and sales and office occupations. 

Earnings 

In 2015, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born, full-time wage and salary workers ($681) 

were 81.4 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($837). Among men, median weekly 

earnings for the foreign-born men ($712) were 76.2 percent of the earnings of their native-born 

counterparts ($934). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($626) were 84.6 percent of the earnings 

of their native-born counterparts ($740). Differences in earnings reflect a variety of factors, including 
- 4 - 

variations in the distributions of foreign-born and native-born workers by educational attainment, 

occupation, industry, and geographic region. (See table 5.) 

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

earned 80.7 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2015. For White, Black, and Asian 

workers, earnings for the foreign born and the native born were relatively close within each group. 

The earnings of both foreign-born and native-born workers increase with education. In 2015, foreignborn workers age 25 and over with less than a high school education earned $476 per week, while those 

with a bachelor’s degree and higher earned about 2.6 times as much—$1,259 per week. Among the 

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

than a high school education—$1,225 per week versus $519 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 closes at higher levels of education. For 

example, among high school graduates (no college), full-time workers who were foreign born earned 

86.1 percent as much in 2015 as their native-born counterparts. Among those with a bachelor’s degree 

and higher, the median weekly earnings of foreign-born workers ($1,259) and native-born workers 

($1,225) were relatively close. 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release are based on annual 

average data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). 

The CPS, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau 

for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is a monthly 

survey of about 60,000 eligible households that provides 

information on the labor force status, demographics, and 

other characteristics of the nation's civilian noninstitutional 

population age 16 and over. In response to the increased 

demand for statistical information about the foreign born, 

questions on nativity, citizenship, year of entry into the 

United States, and the parental nativity of respondents were 

added to the CPS beginning in January 1994. Prior to 1994, 

the primary sources of data on the foreign born were the 

decennial census, two CPS supplements (conducted in April 

1983 and November 1989), and, to some extent, 

information collected by the U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (formerly known as the Immigration 

and Naturalization Service). 

The foreign- and native-born data presented in this 

release are not strictly comparable with data for earlier 

years due to the introduction of updated population 

estimates, or controls, used in the CPS. The population 

controls are updated each year in January to reflect the 

latest information about population change. Additional 

information is available from the BLS website at 

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

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 

Reliability of the estimates 

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather 

than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance 

that the sample estimates may differ from the true 

population values they represent. The component of this 

difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is 

known as sampling error, and its variability is measured by 

the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-

percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate 

based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard 

errors from the true population value because of sampling 

error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-

percent level of confidence. 

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. 

Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including 

the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability 

to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, 

inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct 

information, and errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data. 

Additional information about the reliability of data 

from the CPS and estimating standard errors is available at 

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

Definitions 

Definitions of the principal terms used in this release 

are presented below. 

Foreign born. The foreign born are persons residing in 

the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. That 

is, they were born outside the United States or one of its 

outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam, to parents 

neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. The foreign-born 

population includes legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, 

temporary residents such as students and temporary 

workers, and undocumented immigrants. The survey data, 

however, do not separately identify the number of persons 

in these categories. 

Native born. The native born are persons born in the 

United States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto 

Rico or Guam or who were born abroad of at least one 

parent who was a U.S. citizen. 

Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the data are 

presented for non-Hispanic whites, blacks, and Asians and 

for persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. These four 

groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other 

race groups (including persons who selected more than one 

race category) are included in the overall totals but are not 

shown separately because the number of survey 

respondents is too small to develop statistically reliable 

estimates. The presentation of data on race and ethnicity in 

this release differs from that which appears in most 

analyses of CPS labor force data because persons of 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are separated from the race 

groups. Because persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity can 

be of any race, they are usually included in the race groups 

as well as shown separately in the Hispanic or Latino 

ethnicity group. The reason for the difference in the data 

presentation in this release is because about half of the 

foreign born are of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and they 

have somewhat different labor force characteristics than the 

non-Hispanic foreign born. 

Employed. Employed persons are all those who, 

during the survey reference week, (a) did any work at all as 

paid employees; (b) worked in their own business, 

profession, or on their own farm; or (c) worked 15 hours or 

more as unpaid workers in a family member's business. 

Persons who were temporarily absent from their jobs 

because of illness, bad weather, vacation, labor dispute, or 

another reason also are counted as employed. 
Unemployed. The unemployed are those who had no 

employment during the reference week, were available for 

work at that time, and had made specific efforts to find 

employment sometime during the 4-week period ending 

with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be 

recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not 

be looking for work to be classified as unemployed. 

Civilian labor force. The civilian labor force 

comprises all persons classified as employed or 

unemployed. 

Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the 

number unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force. 

Labor force participation rate. The labor force 

participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the 

population. 

Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before 

taxes and other deductions and include any overtime pay, 

commissions, or tips usually received (at the main job in the 

case of multiple jobholders). Earnings reported on a basis 

other than weekly are converted to a weekly equivalent. 

Full-time wage and salary workers. These are workers 

who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole 

or principal job and receive wages, salaries, and other types 

of compensation. The group includes employees in both the 

private and public sectors but, for purposes of the earnings 

series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of 

whether or not their businesses are incorporated. 

Median earnings. The median earnings is the amount 

which divides a given earnings distribution into two equal 

groups, one having earnings above the median and the other 

having earnings below the median. 
Table 1. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations by selected characteristics,

2014-2015 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2014 2015

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247,947 155,922 62.9 146,305 9,617 6.2 250,801 157,130 62.7 148,834 8,296 5.3

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119,748 82,882 69.2 77,692 5,190 6.3 121,101 83,620 69.1 79,131 4,490 5.4

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128,199 73,039 57.0 68,613 4,426 6.1 129,700 73,510 56.7 69,703 3,807 5.2

FOREIGN BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,997 25,735 66.0 24,282 1,453 5.6 40,257 26,258 65.2 24,963 1,295 4.9

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,997 14,957 78.7 14,204 753 5.0 19,548 15,296 78.2 14,615 681 4.5

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 10,779 53.9 10,078 700 6.5 20,709 10,961 52.9 10,348 613 5.6

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,543 1,852 52.3 1,645 207 11.2 3,625 1,861 51.3 1,674 187 10.0

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,554 5,647 74.8 5,324 323 5.7 7,660 5,657 73.9 5,373 284 5.0

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,897 7,032 79.0 6,697 336 4.8 9,153 7,183 78.5 6,880 303 4.2

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,949 6,441 81.0 6,109 332 5.2 8,142 6,513 80.0 6,248 265 4.1

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,534 3,715 67.1 3,515 200 5.4 5,798 3,891 67.1 3,698 193 5.0

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,520 1,047 19.0 992 55 5.2 5,879 1,152 19.6 1,090 62 5.4

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,564 4,500 59.5 4,290 211 4.7 7,495 4,401 58.7 4,224 177 4.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,243 2,305 71.1 2,106 199 8.6 3,411 2,415 70.8 2,237 179 7.4

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,729 6,211 63.8 5,924 287 4.6 10,123 6,335 62.6 6,101 234 3.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,053 12,431 68.9 11,692 739 5.9 18,797 12,814 68.2 12,126 687 5.4

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,455 23,883 67.4 22,637 1,246 5.2 36,632 24,397 66.6 23,289 1,108 4.5

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 9,649 5,684 58.9 5,321 363 6.4 9,968 5,828 58.5 5,500 328 5.6

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 8,924 5,856 65.6 5,547 309 5.3 9,172 5,951 64.9 5,649 303 5.1

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 5,816 4,168 71.7 3,932 236 5.7 5,896 4,111 69.7 3,917 193 4.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 11,065 8,176 73.9 7,838 338 4.1 11,595 8,507 73.4 8,223 284 3.3

NATIVE BORN

Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208,949 130,187 62.3 122,023 8,164 6.3 210,544 130,872 62.2 123,871 7,002 5.4

Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,751 67,926 67.4 63,488 4,437 6.5 101,553 68,324 67.3 64,516 3,808 5.6

Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108,199 62,261 57.5 58,535 3,726 6.0 108,991 62,548 57.4 59,355 3,193 5.1

Age

16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,170 19,443 55.3 16,797 2,646 13.6 34,965 19,362 55.4 17,082 2,280 11.8

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,577 28,551 82.6 26,651 1,901 6.7 35,111 28,989 82.6 27,369 1,620 5.6

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,668 25,473 83.1 24,270 1,203 4.7 30,548 25,420 83.2 24,373 1,048 4.1

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,866 27,621 79.2 26,446 1,175 4.3 34,495 27,389 79.4 26,395 994 3.6

55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,230 21,787 63.6 20,880 907 4.2 34,796 22,063 63.4 21,278 785 3.6

65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,439 7,311 18.5 6,979 332 4.5 40,630 7,649 18.8 7,374 275 3.6

Race and Hispanic

or Latino ethnicity1

White non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153,630 96,161 62.6 91,456 4,705 4.9 154,058 96,007 62.3 92,010 3,997 4.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,844 15,437 59.7 13,608 1,829 11.8 26,306 15,780 60.0 14,219 1,561 9.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,738 2,325 62.2 2,195 130 5.6 3,908 2,437 62.4 2,333 104 4.3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,347 12,939 63.6 11,800 1,139 8.8 20,821 13,313 63.9 12,273 1,039 7.8

Educational attainment

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173,780 110,744 63.7 105,226 5,518 5.0 175,579 111,510 63.5 106,788 4,722 4.2

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . 14,493 5,144 35.5 4,531 613 11.9 14,206 5,143 36.2 4,598 545 10.6

High school graduates, no college2

. . . . . . . 53,136 30,177 56.8 28,319 1,858 6.2 52,540 29,371 55.9 27,753 1,617 5.5

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . 49,878 33,153 66.5 31,367 1,786 5.4 50,367 33,370 66.3 31,868 1,502 4.5

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

. . . . . . . . . . . . 56,272 42,270 75.1 41,010 1,261 3.0 58,466 43,626 74.6 42,569 1,057 2.4

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

2

Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.

3

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

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

and age of youngest child and sex, 2014-2015 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2014 2015

Total Men Women Total Men Women

FOREIGN BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 15,109 7,055 8,054 15,517 7,300 8,217

Civilian labor force.................................................. 11,382 6,619 4,763 11,583 6,831 4,753

Participation rate.................................................. 75.3 93.8 59.1 74.6 93.6 57.8

Employed.......................................................... 10,786 6,355 4,431 11,076 6,597 4,480

Employment-population ratio................................. 71.4 90.1 55.0 71.4 90.4 54.5

Unemployed....................................................... 596 265 332 507 234 273

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.2 4.0 7.0 4.4 3.4 5.7

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 8,197 3,719 4,478 8,603 3,961 4,642

Civilian labor force.................................................. 6,420 3,447 2,972 6,680 3,674 3,006

Participation rate.................................................. 78.3 92.7 66.4 77.6 92.7 64.8

Employed.......................................................... 6,082 3,297 2,785 6,397 3,548 2,849

Employment-population ratio................................. 74.2 88.6 62.2 74.4 89.6 61.4

Unemployed....................................................... 338 151 187 284 126 158

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.3 4.4 6.3 4.2 3.4 5.3

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 6,912 3,336 3,577 6,914 3,338 3,575

Civilian labor force.................................................. 4,963 3,172 1,791 4,903 3,157 1,746

Participation rate.................................................. 71.8 95.1 50.1 70.9 94.6 48.8

Employed.......................................................... 4,704 3,058 1,646 4,680 3,049 1,631

Employment-population ratio................................. 68.1 91.7 46.0 67.7 91.3 45.6

Unemployed....................................................... 259 114 145 223 108 115

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.2 3.6 8.1 4.6 3.4 6.6

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 3,742 1,816 1,926 3,810 1,878 1,932

Civilian labor force.................................................. 2,607 1,733 874 2,639 1,770 869

Participation rate.................................................. 69.7 95.4 45.4 69.3 94.2 45.0

Employed.......................................................... 2,468 1,665 802 2,517 1,711 806

Employment-population ratio................................. 65.9 91.7 41.7 66.1 91.1 41.7

Unemployed....................................................... 140 68 72 122 59 63

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.4 3.9 8.2 4.6 3.3 7.3

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 23,888 11,942 11,946 24,740 12,248 12,492

Civilian labor force.................................................. 14,353 8,337 6,016 14,674 8,465 6,209

Participation rate.................................................. 60.1 69.8 50.4 59.3 69.1 49.7

Employed.......................................................... 13,496 7,849 5,647 13,887 8,018 5,868

Employment-population ratio................................. 56.5 65.7 47.3 56.1 65.5 47.0

Unemployed....................................................... 857 488 368 787 447 340

Unemployment rate............................................ 6.0 5.9 6.1 5.4 5.3 5.5

NATIVE BORN

With own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 50,534 21,986 28,548 50,047 21,795 28,252

Civilian labor force.................................................. 41,198 20,320 20,878 40,893 20,147 20,746

Participation rate.................................................. 81.5 92.4 73.1 81.7 92.4 73.4

Employed.......................................................... 39,162 19,544 19,618 39,162 19,482 19,680

Employment-population ratio................................. 77.5 88.9 68.7 78.3 89.4 69.7

Unemployed....................................................... 2,036 776 1,260 1,731 665 1,066

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.9 3.8 6.0 4.2 3.3 5.1

With own children 6 to 17, none younger

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 28,289 12,395 15,895 28,013 12,209 15,803

Civilian labor force.................................................. 23,569 11,321 12,248 23,377 11,166 12,211

Participation rate.................................................. 83.3 91.3 77.1 83.5 91.5 77.3

Employed.......................................................... 22,607 10,947 11,660 22,526 10,844 11,682

Employment-population ratio................................. 79.9 88.3 73.4 80.4 88.8 73.9
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, 2014-2015 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2014 2015

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Unemployed....................................................... 962 374 588 851 322 529

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.1 3.3 4.8 3.6 2.9 4.3

With own children under 6

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 22,244 9,591 12,653 22,034 9,586 12,449

Civilian labor force.................................................. 17,628 8,999 8,629 17,516 8,981 8,535

Participation rate.................................................. 79.2 93.8 68.2 79.5 93.7 68.6

Employed.......................................................... 16,555 8,597 7,958 16,636 8,638 7,997

Employment-population ratio................................. 74.4 89.6 62.9 75.5 90.1 64.2

Unemployed....................................................... 1,074 402 672 880 343 537

Unemployment rate............................................ 6.1 4.5 7.8 5.0 3.8 6.3

With own children under 3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 12,986 5,688 7,298 13,144 5,769 7,375

Civilian labor force.................................................. 10,102 5,352 4,750 10,255 5,411 4,845

Participation rate.................................................. 77.8 94.1 65.1 78.0 93.8 65.7

Employed.......................................................... 9,472 5,105 4,367 9,733 5,203 4,530

Employment-population ratio................................. 72.9 89.8 59.8 74.0 90.2 61.4

Unemployed....................................................... 631 247 384 522 208 314

Unemployment rate............................................ 6.2 4.6 8.1 5.1 3.8 6.5

With no own children under 18

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 158,415 78,765 79,651 160,497 79,757 80,739

Civilian labor force.................................................. 88,989 47,606 41,383 89,980 48,177 41,803

Participation rate.................................................. 56.2 60.4 52.0 56.1 60.4 51.8

Employed.......................................................... 82,861 43,944 38,917 84,709 45,034 39,675

Employment-population ratio................................. 52.3 55.8 48.9 52.8 56.5 49.1

Unemployed....................................................... 6,128 3,662 2,466 5,271 3,143 2,127

Unemployment rate............................................ 6.9 7.7 6.0 5.9 6.5 5.1

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, 2014-2015 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2014 2015

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..................... 736 1,671 1,413 3,184 661 1,658 1,372 3,246

Civilian labor force..................................... 258 856 890 2,234 227 837 801 2,269

Participation rate.................................... 35.0 51.2 63.0 70.2 34.3 50.5 58.4 69.9

Employed............................................. 245 822 844 2,146 220 804 760 2,200

Employment-population ratio.................... 33.2 49.2 59.7 67.4 33.3 48.5 55.4 67.8

Unemployed.......................................... 13 34 46 88 7 32 41 69

Unemployment rate.............................. 5.0 4.0 5.2 3.9 2.9 3.9 5.1 3.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 410 810 749 899 388 837 772 992

Civilian labor force..................................... 216 576 597 733 210 575 609 823

Participation rate.................................... 52.8 71.2 79.7 81.6 54.1 68.7 78.9 83.0

Employed............................................. 193 528 546 689 188 529 572 782

Employment-population ratio.................... 46.9 65.2 72.8 76.7 48.5 63.2 74.1 78.9

Unemployed.......................................... 24 48 52 44 22 46 37 41

Unemployment rate.............................. 11.1 8.4 8.6 6.1 10.4 8.0 6.1 5.0

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 1,041 1,758 1,296 4,825 1,036 1,854 1,277 5,135

Civilian labor force..................................... 407 1,043 877 3,568 409 1,065 854 3,702

Participation rate.................................... 39.1 59.3 67.7 74.0 39.5 57.4 66.9 72.1

Employed............................................. 379 1,001 835 3,435 389 1,023 825 3,591

Employment-population ratio.................... 36.4 56.9 64.4 71.2 37.5 55.2 64.6 69.9

Unemployed.......................................... 28 42 42 133 20 42 28 111

Unemployment rate.............................. 6.9 4.0 4.8 3.7 5.0 4.0 3.3 3.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 7,392 4,593 2,272 2,040 7,816 4,724 2,381 2,089

Civilian labor force..................................... 4,765 3,314 1,740 1,544 4,955 3,406 1,779 1,603

Participation rate.................................... 64.5 72.2 76.6 75.7 63.4 72.1 74.7 76.7

Employed............................................. 4,470 3,134 1,649 1,473 4,677 3,230 1,696 1,543

Employment-population ratio.................... 60.5 68.2 72.6 72.2 59.8 68.4 71.2 73.9

Unemployed.......................................... 295 180 91 70 277 176 83 60

Unemployment rate.............................. 6.2 5.4 5.2 4.5 5.6 5.2 4.7 3.7

NATIVE BORN

White non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 8,941 39,783 37,386 46,674 8,769 39,059 37,445 48,179

Civilian labor force..................................... 3,012 22,023 24,287 34,576 3,033 21,173 24,197 35,522

Participation rate.................................... 33.7 55.4 65.0 74.1 34.6 54.2 64.6 73.7

Employed............................................. 2,733 20,932 23,188 33,647 2,793 20,250 23,282 34,735

Employment-population ratio.................... 30.6 52.6 62.0 72.1 31.9 51.8 62.2 72.1

Unemployed.......................................... 278 1,090 1,099 929 240 923 915 787

Unemployment rate.............................. 9.2 5.0 4.5 2.7 7.9 4.4 3.8 2.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,715 7,163 6,399 4,404 2,591 7,344 6,583 4,700

Civilian labor force..................................... 906 4,134 4,397 3,432 857 4,196 4,528 3,586

Participation rate.................................... 33.4 57.7 68.7 77.9 33.1 57.1 68.8 76.3

Employed............................................. 733 3,669 3,998 3,258 701 3,780 4,188 3,449

Employment-population ratio.................... 27.0 51.2 62.5 74.0 27.1 51.5 63.6 73.4

Unemployed.......................................... 173 465 398 174 156 416 340 137

Unemployment rate.............................. 19.1 11.3 9.1 5.1 18.2 9.9 7.5 3.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 141 449 566 1,416 138 443 576 1,541

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, 2014-2015 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2014 2015

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..................................... 61 253 392 1,135 57 273 402 1,213

Participation rate.................................... 43.0 56.4 69.3 80.2 41.4 61.7 69.8 78.7

Employed............................................. 56 236 373 1,097 52 260 388 1,187

Employment-population ratio.................... 39.5 52.7 65.9 77.5 37.7 58.7 67.4 77.0

Unemployed.......................................... 5 17 19 39 5 13 14 26

Unemployment rate.............................. 8.1 6.6 4.9 3.4 8.9 4.9 3.4 2.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,291 4,505 4,190 2,811 2,278 4,536 4,393 2,997

Civilian labor force..................................... 1,027 3,034 3,172 2,349 1,031 3,037 3,333 2,473

Participation rate.................................... 44.8 67.4 75.7 83.6 45.3 67.0 75.9 82.5

Employed............................................. 895 2,820 2,977 2,268 915 2,834 3,163 2,392

Employment-population ratio.................... 39.1 62.6 71.0 80.7 40.1 62.5 72.0 79.8

Unemployed.......................................... 132 215 194 81 117 203 170 81

Unemployment rate.............................. 12.9 7.1 6.1 3.5 11.3 6.7 5.1 3.3

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, 2015

annual averages

[Percent distribution]

Occupation

Foreign born Native born

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total employed (in thousands)....................................... 24,963 14,615 10,348 123,871 64,516 59,355

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........... 30.8 28.5 34.1 40.6 37.1 44.4

Management, business, and financial operations

occupations..................................................... 11.7 11.5 11.9 17.1 18.4 15.7

Management occupations.................................... 8.1 8.7 7.4 12.1 14.1 9.9

Business and financial operations occupations............ 3.5 2.9 4.5 5.0 4.4 5.7

Professional and related occupations.......................... 19.1 17.0 22.3 23.5 18.6 28.7

Computer and mathematical occupations.................. 4.3 5.6 2.6 2.7 3.8 1.4

Architecture and engineering occupations.................. 2.2 3.1 1.0 1.9 3.2 0.6

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

Community and social service occupations................ 0.9 0.7 1.2 1.9 1.2 2.6

Legal occupations............................................. 0.4 0.2 0.7 1.4 1.3 1.4

Education, training, and library occupations................ 3.5 2.1 5.5 6.5 3.2 10.1

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

occupations.................................................. 1.4 1.3 1.6 2.2 2.2 2.2

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. . . . . . .. 5.2 2.8 8.5 6.0 2.8 9.6

Service occupations................................................ 23.4 17.3 32.1 16.2 13.5 19.2

Healthcare support occupations................................ 2.7 0.7 5.5 2.3 0.5 4.2

Protective service occupations................................. 0.9 1.3 0.4 2.3 3.5 1.0

Food preparation and serving related occupations.......... 7.1 6.6 7.8 5.1 4.2 6.1

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

occupations..................................................... 8.4 7.1 10.3 2.9 3.6 2.2

Personal care and service occupations....................... 4.3 1.6 8.1 3.5 1.6 5.6

Sales and office occupations...................................... 16.6 12.4 22.5 23.8 17.3 30.9

Sales and related occupations.................................. 8.6 7.7 9.8 10.9 10.6 11.3

Office and administrative support occupations............... 8.0 4.7 12.7 12.8 6.7 19.6

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations........................................................ 13.8 22.4 1.8 8.3 15.2 0.8

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.................... 1.8 2.3 1.1 0.5 0.8 0.2

Construction and extraction occupations...................... 9.0 15.1 0.4 4.4 8.1 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations........... 3.0 5.0 0.2 3.4 6.4 0.3

Production, transportation, and material moving

occupations........................................................ 15.4 19.5 9.6 11.1 17.0 4.8

Production occupations.......................................... 7.9 8.6 6.9 5.3 7.5 2.9

Transportation and material moving occupations............ 7.5 10.9 2.7 5.9 9.5 1.9

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, 2014-2015 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2014 2015

Foreign born Native born

Earnings

of

foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born

Foreign born Native born

Earnings

of

foreign

born as

percent

of

native

born

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Number

Median

weekly

earnings

Total, 16 years and over.................. 18,094 $664 88,433 $820 81.0 18,792 $681 90,289 $837 81.4

Men........................................ 11,143 695 48,307 912 76.2 11,561 712 49,185 934 76.2

Women.................................... 6,951 613 40,126 734 83.5 7,231 626 41,103 740 84.6

AGE

16 to 24 years.............................. 1,020 423 8,563 482 87.8 995 464 8,795 490 94.7

25 to 34 years.............................. 4,214 609 21,508 744 81.9 4,247 622 22,364 751 82.8

35 to 44 years.............................. 5,176 715 19,414 919 77.8 5,378 721 19,538 940 76.7

45 to 54 years.............................. 4,600 708 20,759 939 75.4 4,745 724 20,832 965 75.0

55 to 64 years.............................. 2,505 734 15,103 940 78.1 2,744 731 15,364 961 76.1

65 years and over.......................... 580 689 3,086 856 80.5 683 731 3,395 895 81.7

RACE AND HISPANIC OR

LATINO ETHNICITY1

White non-Hispanic or Latino............. 2,906 931 65,572 880 105.8 2,888 999 66,208 900 111.0

Black non-Hispanic or Latino............. 1,638 661 10,498 640 103.3 1,734 674 11,055 643 104.8

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino............. 4,549 969 1,591 924 104.9 4,706 1,010 1,755 973 103.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................ 8,792 523 8,683 662 79.0 9,246 548 9,065 679 80.7

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over.................. 17,074 687 79,869 871 78.9 17,797 702 81,494 891 78.8

Less than a high school diploma. . . . .. 3,952 463 2,974 517 89.6 4,217 476 3,073 519 91.7

High school graduates, no college2

. .. 4,105 581 21,425 689 84.3 4,218 599 21,003 696 86.1

Some college or associate degree. . .. 2,866 685 23,542 771 88.8 2,845 699 23,956 770 90.8

Bachelor’s degree and higher3

......... 6,151 1,222 31,929 1,188 102.9 6,517 1,259 33,462 1,225 102.8

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, 2014-2015 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Census region and

division

2014 2015

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................... 8,455 5,431 64.2 5,087 343 6.3 8,664 5,552 64.1 5,266 286 5.1

New England............ 1,739 1,155 66.4 1,086 69 6.0 1,786 1,169 65.5 1,106 63 5.4

Middle Atlantic.......... 6,716 4,276 63.7 4,002 274 6.4 6,878 4,383 63.7 4,160 223 5.1

South....................... 12,812 8,707 68.0 8,276 431 4.9 13,242 8,846 66.8 8,455 390 4.4

South Atlantic........... 7,551 5,122 67.8 4,848 274 5.3 7,725 5,159 66.8 4,906 253 4.9

East South Central. . . .. 653 426 65.3 404 22 5.2 684 442 64.5 420 21 4.8

West South Central. . .. 4,608 3,159 68.6 3,024 135 4.3 4,833 3,245 67.2 3,129 116 3.6

Midwest..................... 4,350 2,924 67.2 2,762 162 5.5 4,486 2,992 66.7 2,843 150 5.0

East North Central. . . .. 3,260 2,142 65.7 2,022 120 5.6 3,375 2,198 65.1 2,086 111 5.1

West North Central..... 1,090 781 71.7 740 41 5.3 1,111 795 71.5 757 38 4.8

West........................ 13,380 8,674 64.8 8,156 517 6.0 13,865 8,867 64.0 8,399 469 5.3

Mountain................. 2,503 1,638 65.4 1,560 78 4.7 2,633 1,709 64.9 1,614 95 5.6

Pacific.................... 10,877 7,036 64.7 6,596 440 6.3 11,232 7,158 63.7 6,785 374 5.2

NATIVE BORN

Northeast................... 36,441 22,816 62.6 21,427 1,389 6.1 36,465 22,907 62.8 21,700 1,207 5.3

New England............ 10,103 6,630 65.6 6,242 388 5.9 10,137 6,637 65.5 6,318 320 4.8

Middle Atlantic.......... 26,338 16,186 61.5 15,185 1,001 6.2 26,328 16,269 61.8 15,382 887 5.5

South....................... 79,382 48,144 60.6 45,166 2,979 6.2 80,368 48,403 60.2 45,771 2,632 5.4

South Atlantic........... 41,285 25,048 60.7 23,441 1,607 6.4 41,866 25,241 60.3 23,829 1,412 5.6

East South Central. . . .. 13,941 7,996 57.4 7,442 554 6.9 14,019 8,032 57.3 7,557 475 5.9

West South Central. . .. 24,156 15,101 62.5 14,283 818 5.4 24,483 15,130 61.8 14,385 745 4.9

Midwest..................... 48,584 31,531 64.9 29,682 1,849 5.9 48,678 31,539 64.8 30,014 1,525 4.8

East North Central. . . .. 33,404 21,184 63.4 19,815 1,369 6.5 33,417 21,140 63.3 20,030 1,110 5.2

West North Central..... 15,180 10,347 68.2 9,867 480 4.6 15,262 10,399 68.1 9,985 415 4.0

West........................ 44,543 27,695 62.2 25,748 1,947 7.0 45,032 28,024 62.2 26,386 1,639 5.8

Mountain................. 15,145 9,589 63.3 9,011 578 6.0 15,337 9,685 63.1 9,200 485 5.0

Pacific.................... 29,397 18,106 61.6 16,737 1,369 7.6 29,695 18,339 61.8 17,185 1,154 6.3

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.