For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, April 21, 2021 USDL-21-0695 

Technical information: cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

(NOTE: BLS reissued this news release on December 20, 2021, to correct 2019 and 2020 

data on the number and percent of total married-couple families with only one spouse 

employed. The incorrect data appeared in the text of the news release, in table 2 of the

news release, and in the online database.)

EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILIES — 2020

In 2020, 9.8 percent of families included an unemployed person, twice the figure of 4.9 percent 

in 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase in unemployment 

among families reflects the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. 

Of the nation's 83.1 million families, 78.2 percent had at least one employed member in 2020. 

These data on employment, unemployment, and family relationships are collected as part of the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of about 60,000 households. Data in this 

news release are annual averages. Families are classified either as married-couple families or as

families maintained by women or men without spouses present. Unless otherwise noted, families 

include those with and without children under age 18. For further information, see the Technical 

Note in this news release.

Families and Unemployment

The number of families with at least one member unemployed increased by 4.0 million to 8.1 

million in 2020. The proportion of families with an unemployed person, at 9.8 percent, doubled 

from the previous year, when it was 4.9 percent. In 2020, the proportion of families with an 

unemployed person increased for White (9.0 percent of families), Black (13.4 percent), Asian 

(10.9 percent), and Hispanic (14.3 percent) families. White families were the least likely to have

an unemployed member, and Hispanic families were the most likely. In 2019, by contrast, Asian 

families were the least likely to have an unemployed person, and Black families were the most

likely. (See table 1.) 

In 2020, among families with an unemployed member, 67.6 percent also had at least one family 

member employed, down from 71.3 percent in the prior year. The proportion of families with an 

unemployed member that had at least one family member working full time fell by 2.5 

percentage points to 59.9 percent in 2020. Among families with an unemployed member, Black 

families remained less likely to also have at least one family member who was working (57.1 

percent) than White (69.9 percent), Asian (71.6 percent), and Hispanic (67.7 percent) families. 
-2-

(See table 1.)

In 2020, 8.6 percent of married-couple families had an unemployed member, less than the 

corresponding percentages of families maintained by women or families maintained by men 

(12.7 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively). Among families with an unemployed member, 

those maintained by women remained less likely to also have an employed family member (49.9 

percent) than families maintained by men and married-couple families (55.0 percent and 76.2 

percent, respectively). (See tables 2 and 3.)

Families and Employment

In 2020, 78.2 percent of families had at least one employed family member, down from 81.2 

percent in the prior year. From 2019 to 2020, the likelihood of having an employed family 

member decreased for White (78.0 percent of families), Black (75.7 percent), Asian (84.7 

percent), and Hispanic (84.1 percent) families. (See table 1.)

Families maintained by women remained less likely to have an employed member (74.8 percent) 

in 2020 than families maintained by men (81.1 percent) or married-couple families (78.7 

percent). Among married-couple families, both spouses were employed in 45.5 percent of 

families, down from 49.7 percent in the prior year. In 2020, only one spouse was employed in 

26.7 percent of married-couple families, up from 25.2 percent in 2019. (See table 2.)

Families with Children

In 2020, 33.0 million families, or two-fifths of all families, included children under age 18. 

(Children are sons, daughters, step-children, or adopted children living in the household who are 

under age 18. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, other related and unrelated 

children, and children not living in the household.) At least one parent was employed in 88.5 

percent of families with children, down from 91.4 percent in the previous year. Among marriedcouple families with children, 95.3 percent had at least one employed parent in 2020, and 59.8 

percent had both parents employed. Among families maintained by fathers, 79.6 percent of 

fathers were employed, a greater share than the 71.0 percent of mothers who were employed in 

families maintained by mothers. (See tables 1 and 4.)

Parents

The labor force participation rate—the percent of the population working or looking for work—

for all women with children under age 18 was 71.2 percent in 2020, down from 72.3 percent in 

the prior year. The participation rate for fathers with children under age 18, at 92.3 percent in 

2020, also declined from the previous year (93.3 percent). This decline in labor force 

participation among parents, especially mothers, likely reflects not only pandemic-related job 

losses, but also the shift of many schools to distance learning and the temporary closure of many 

childcare facilities during the pandemic. (See table 5.)

Participation rates declined from the prior year for married mothers and fathers, and for mothers 

and fathers with other marital statuses. Married mothers remained less likely to participate in the 
-3-

labor force in 2020, at 69.2 percent, than mothers with other marital statuses (75.9 percent). In 

contrast, married fathers remained more likely to participate in the labor force (93.3 percent) than 

fathers with other marital statuses (86.3 percent). (Other marital status includes persons who are 

never married; widowed; divorced; separated; and married, spouse absent.) (See table 5.)

In 2020, mothers of older children remained more likely to participate in the labor force than 

mothers with younger children. The participation rate for mothers with children under age 6, at 

65.8 percent, was lower than that of mothers whose youngest child was age 6 to 17, at 75.4 

percent. By comparison, fathers with children under age 6 were more likely to participate in the 

labor force than those whose youngest child was age 6 to 17 (93.4 percent versus 91.4 percent). 

(See table 5.)

In 2020, the unemployment rate for mothers increased by 4.0 percentage points from the prior 

year to 7.5 percent, and the rate for fathers increased by 3.4 percentage points to 5.6 percent. The 

unemployment rate for married mothers remained considerably lower than for mothers with 

other marital statuses—6.1 percent, compared with 10.4 percent. Married fathers also continued 

to have a lower unemployment rate, at 4.8 percent, than fathers with other marital statuses, at 

10.6 percent. Among mothers who had children under age 3, the unemployment rate of mothers 

who were married was less than half that of those with other marital statuses (6.1 percent versus 

12.8 percent). (See tables 5 and 6.) 

Employed fathers remained more likely to work full time in 2020 than employed mothers; 95.6 

percent of employed fathers worked full time, compared with 79.7 percent of employed mothers. 

The likelihood of working full time declined by 0.5 percentage point from the previous year for 

employed fathers, while it increased by 1.2 percentage points over the year for employed 

mothers. The increase in the percentage of working mothers who were employed full time from 

2019 to 2020 reflects the nature of pandemic-related job losses in 2020, which were 

disproportionately large among mothers who worked part time. 

Among employed mothers, those with older children remained more likely to work full time than 

those with younger children. In 2020, 81.2 percent of employed mothers with children ages 6 to 

17 worked full time, compared with 77.5 percent of mothers with children under age 6. 

Employed fathers with older and younger children were about equally likely to work full time, at 

95.7 percent and 95.4 percent, respectively. (See table 5.)
-4-

Change in classification by marital status and family type

Estimates in this news release reflect a change in the classification of persons in same-sex 

marriages. In this news release, estimates of the number of married persons refer to those in 

opposite-sex and same-sex marriages. In prior news releases, estimates of the number of married 

persons referred to those in opposite-sex marriages only. The definition of families incorporates 

this change by expanding the definition of married-couple families to include same-sex married 

couples. 

This new classification results in a larger estimate of the number of persons who are married 

with a spouse present. It also results in a larger estimate of the number of married-couple 

families and the total number of families. Estimates of same-sex married-couple families are not 

displayed in this news release. BLS continues to evaluate these data. 

Family estimates and estimates by marital status for 2020 and 2019 in this news release 

incorporate this change. Therefore, 2019 estimates presented in these tables do not match those 

published in the "Employment Characteristics of Families—2019" news release and in the BLS 

online database. 
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.

Estimates in this news release reflect a change 

in the classification of persons in same-sex

marriages. In this news release, estimates of the 

number of married persons refer to those in 

opposite-sex and same-sex marriages. In prior 

news releases, estimates of the number of married 

persons referred to those in opposite-sex 

marriages only. The definition of families 

incorporates this change by expanding the 

definition of married-couple families to include 

same-sex married couples. This new 

classification results in a larger estimate of the 

number of persons who are married with a spouse 

present. It also results in a larger estimate of the 

number of married-couple families and the total 

number of families. The 2019 estimates presented 

in this news release do not match those published 

in the "Employment Characteristics of Families--

2019" news release and in the BLS online 

database. Additional information about the 

classification change is available from the Census 

Bureau at

www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/w

orking-papers/2019/demo/SEHSD-WP-2018-

30.pdf. 

In addition, the 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

Upon request, the information in this release 

will be made available to individuals who are 

sensory impaired: Voice phone: (202) 691-5200;

Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, 

rather than the entire population, is surveyed, 

there is a chance that the sample estimates may 

differ from the true population values they 

represent. The exact difference, or sampling 

error, varies depending on the particular sample 

selected, and this variability is measured by the 

standard error of the estimate. There is about a 

90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an 

estimate based on a sample will differ by no more 

than 1.6 standard errors from the true population 

value because of sampling error. BLS analyses 

are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of 

confidence.

The CPS data also are affected by 

nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur

for many reasons, including the failure to sample 

a segment of the population, inability to obtain 

information for all respondents in the sample, 

inability or unwillingness of respondents to 

provide correct information, and errors made in 

the collection or processing of the data.

Information about the reliability of data from 

the CPS and guidance on estimating standard 

errors are available at

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

Definitions

Definitions of the principal terms used in this 

release are described briefly below.

Householder. The householder is the family 

reference person. This is the person (or one of the 

persons) in whose name the housing unit is 

owned or rented. The relationship of other 

individuals in the household is defined in terms 

of their relationship to the householder. The race 

and Hispanic ethnicity of the family is 

determined by that of the householder.

Family. A family is a group of two or more 

persons residing together who are related by 

birth, marriage, or adoption; all such individuals 

are considered members of one family. The count 

of families is for "primary" families only. A 

primary family consists of a householder and all 

other persons related to and residing with the 

householder. Sub-families are excluded from the 
count of families. A sub-family is a family that 

does not maintain their own household, such as a 

married couple living in the home of a friend and 

their family. In this example, the report would 

include only one family (the householder’s or 

primary family), not two.

Families include those with and without 

children under age 18. Families are further 

categorized as follows:

• Married-couple families refer to opposite-sex

and same-sex married couples residing 

together and any of their family members 

residing in the household.

• Families maintained by women or men are 

made up of householders residing with one or 

more family members but no spouse of either 

sex present. Unmarried domestic partners of 

either sex may or may not be present in the

household.

This release presents data for two marital 

status categories, defined below. Marital status is 

based on a person's status at the time of the 

survey.

Total married, spouse present. Married, 

spouse present, includes persons in either

opposite-sex or same-sex marriages living 

together in the same household, even though one 

may be temporarily absent on business, on 

vacation, on a visit, in a hospital, or for other 

reasons.

Other marital status. Other marital status 

includes persons who are never married; 

widowed; divorced; separated; and married, 

spouse absent. Separated includes persons with 

legal separations, those living apart with 

intentions of obtaining a divorce, and other 

persons permanently or temporarily separated 

because of marital discord. Married, spouse 

absent, includes married persons living apart 

because either a husband or wife was employed 

and living at a considerable distance from home, 

was serving away from home in the Armed 

Forces, had moved to another area, or had a 

different place of residence for any other reason 

except separation as defined above.

Children. Data on children refer to own 

children under age 18 that live in the household. 

Included are sons, daughters, step-children, and 

adopted children of the husband, wife, or person 

maintaining the family. Not included are nieces, 

nephews, grandchildren, other related children, 

and all unrelated children living in the household. 

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 an enterprise operated by a member of 

the family. Persons who were temporarily absent 

from their jobs because of illness, vacation, labor 

disputes, or another reason also are counted as 

employed.

Full-time workers. Full-time workers are 

those who usually work 35 hours or more per 

week at all jobs.

Part-time workers. Part-time workers are 

those who usually work fewer than 35 hours per 

week at all jobs.

Unemployed. The unemployed are persons 

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.

Labor force participation rate. The labor force 

participation rate is the labor force as a percent of 

the population.

Employment-population ratio. The employmentpopulation ratio is the employed as a percent of the 

population.

Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate 

is the number unemployed as a percent of the 

civilian labor force.
Table 1. Employment and unemployment in families by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2019-2020 annual

averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic 2019 2020

EMPLOYMENT IN FAMILIES

Total families............................................................................................................ 83,107 83,144

With at least one family member employed...................................................................... 67,503 64,995

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 81.2 78.2

With at least one family member employed full time1........................................................ 62,015 59,683

With no family member employed................................................................................. 15,604 18,148

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 18.8 21.8

White

Total families............................................................................................................ 65,489 65,324

With at least one family member employed...................................................................... 52,850 50,925

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 80.7 78.0

With at least one family member employed full time1

........................................................ 48,530 46,762

With no family member employed................................................................................. 12,640 14,399

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 19.3 22.0

Black or African American

Total families............................................................................................................ 9,995 10,183

With at least one family member employed...................................................................... 8,020 7,713

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 80.2 75.7

With at least one family member employed full time1

........................................................ 7,274 6,975

With no family member employed................................................................................. 1,975 2,470

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 19.8 24.3

Asian

Total families............................................................................................................ 5,109 5,153

With at least one family member employed...................................................................... 4,517 4,365

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 88.4 84.7

With at least one family member employed full time1

........................................................ 4,279 4,131

With no family member employed................................................................................. 592 788

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 11.6 15.3

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total families............................................................................................................ 13,343 13,369

With at least one family member employed...................................................................... 11,793 11,245

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 88.4 84.1

With at least one family member employed full time1

........................................................ 10,946 10,367

With no family member employed................................................................................. 1,550 2,124

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 11.6 15.9

UNEMPLOYMENT IN FAMILIES

Total families............................................................................................................ 83,107 83,144

With at least one family member unemployed................................................................... 4,111 8,124

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 4.9 9.8

Some family member(s) employed.............................................................................. 2,930 5,492

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed................................. 71.3 67.6

Some family member(s) employed full time1

................................................................ 2,565 4,869

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed............................... 62.4 59.9

White

Total families............................................................................................................ 65,489 65,324

With at least one family member unemployed................................................................... 2,925 5,858

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 4.5 9.0

Some family member(s) employed.............................................................................. 2,157 4,097

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed................................. 73.7 69.9

Some family member(s) employed full time1

................................................................ 1,886 3,644

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed............................... 64.5 62.2

Black or African American

Total families............................................................................................................ 9,995 10,183

With at least one family member unemployed................................................................... 801 1,360

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 8.0 13.4

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Employment and unemployment in families by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2019-2020 annual

averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic 2019 2020

Some family member(s) employed.............................................................................. 484 776

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed................................. 60.4 57.1

Some family member employed full time1................................................................... 422 676

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed............................... 52.8 49.7

Asian

Total families............................................................................................................ 5,109 5,153

With at least one family member unemployed................................................................... 207 560

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 4.0 10.9

Some family member(s) employed.............................................................................. 171 401

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed................................. 82.6 71.6

Some family member(s) employed full time1

................................................................ 155 358

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed............................... 74.8 63.9

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total families............................................................................................................ 13,343 13,369

With at least one family member unemployed................................................................... 883 1,906

As a percent of total families..................................................................................... 6.6 14.3

Some family member(s) employed.............................................................................. 654 1,290

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed................................. 74.0 67.7

Some family member(s) employed full time1

................................................................ 571 1,150

As a percent of families with at least one family member unemployed............................... 64.6 60.3

1 Usually work 35 hours or more per week at all jobs.

NOTE: The race or ethnicity of the family is determined by that of the householder, the family reference person in whose name the housing unit is

owned or rented. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not

presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced

annually with the release of January data. Family estimates reflect a change in the classification of marital status. Data for 2019 and 2020 incorporate

this change into the definition of families, which expands the definition of married-couple families to include same-sex married couples. As a result,

data under the new definition are not strictly comparable with data for previous years. Data for 2019 in this news release incorporate the new

definition; therefore, 2019 estimates shown here do not match those published in the ′′Employment Characteristics of Families--2019′′ news release

and in the BLS online database.
Table 2. Families by presence and relationship of employed members and family type, 2019-2020 annual

averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Number Percent distribution

2019 2020 2019 2020

TOTAL MARRIED-COUPLE FAMILIES1

Total........................................................................................ 60,975 61,375 100.0 100.0

With at least one family member employed........................................ 49,625 48,279 81.4 78.7

With only one spouse employed................................................... 15,349 16,408 25.2 26.7

With both spouses employed...................................................... 30,333 27,921 49.7 45.5

Other employment combinations.................................................. 3,943 3,950 6.5 6.4

With no family member employed................................................... 11,350 13,096 18.6 21.3

Opposite-sex married-couple families

Total........................................................................................ 60,449 60,804 100.0 100.0

With at least one family member employed........................................ 49,162 47,785 81.3 78.6

Husband only........................................................................ 11,108 11,644 18.4 19.1

Wife only.............................................................................. 4,123 4,614 6.8 7.6

Husband and wife................................................................... 30,003 27,591 49.6 45.4

Other employment combinations.................................................. 3,929 3,937 6.5 6.5

With no family member employed................................................... 11,287 13,018 18.7 21.4

FAMILIES MAINTAINED BY WOMEN2

Total........................................................................................ 15,188 14,826 100.0 100.0

With at least one family member employed........................................ 11,938 11,089 78.6 74.8

Householder only.................................................................... 6,138 5,879 40.4 39.7

Householder and other member(s)................................................ 3,520 3,108 23.2 21.0

Other member(s), not householder................................................ 2,280 2,102 15.0 14.2

With no family member employed................................................... 3,250 3,737 21.4 25.2

FAMILIES MAINTAINED BY MEN2

Total........................................................................................ 6,944 6,943 100.0 100.0

With at least one family member employed........................................ 5,940 5,627 85.5 81.1

Householder only.................................................................... 2,709 2,706 39.0 39.0

Householder and other member(s)................................................ 2,244 1,959 32.3 28.2

Other member(s), not householder................................................ 987 963 14.2 13.9

With no family member employed................................................... 1,004 1,315 14.5 18.9

1 Beginning with data for 2019, includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2019, included opposite-sex married-couple

families only.

2 Beginning with data for 2019, includes families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2019, included only families with no opposite-sex

spouse present.

NOTE: In families maintained by women or men with no spouse present, householder refers to the woman or man maintaining the family. Detail may

not sum to totals due to rounding. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Family estimates reflect a

change in the classification of marital status. Data for 2019 and 2020 incorporate this change into the definition of families, which expands the

definition of married-couple families to include same-sex married couples. As a result, data under the new definition are not strictly comparable with

data for previous years. Data for 2019 in this news release incorporate the new definition; therefore, 2019 estimates shown here do not match those

published in the ′′Employment Characteristics of Families--2019′′ news release and in the BLS online database.
Table 3. Unemployment in families by presence and relationship of employed members and family type,

2019-2020 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Number Percent distribution

2019 2020 2019 2020

TOTAL MARRIED-COUPLE FAMILIES1

With at least one family member unemployed, total................................. 2,400 5,292 100.0 100.0

Employment of family members

Some family member(s) employed................................................... 1,973 4,031 82.2 76.2

No family member employed......................................................... 427 1,261 17.8 23.8

Unemployment of family members

At least one spouse unemployed2

................................................... 1,525 3,920 63.6 74.1

One spouse employed.............................................................. 1,137 2,632 47.4 49.7

Other family member(s) unemployed................................................ 875 1,371 36.4 25.9

Opposite-sex married-couple families

With at least one family member unemployed, total................................. 2,380 5,237 100.0 100.0

Employment of family members

Some family member(s) employed................................................... 1,956 3,990 82.2 76.2

No family member employed......................................................... 425 1,247 17.8 23.8

Unemployment of family members

Husband unemployed3

................................................................ 788 2,041 33.1 39.0

Wife employed....................................................................... 510 1,096 21.4 20.9

Wife unemployed, husband employed or not in labor force...................... 721 1,835 30.3 35.0

Husband employed.................................................................. 613 1,506 25.7 28.8

Other family member(s) unemployed................................................ 872 1,361 36.6 26.0

FAMILIES MAINTAINED BY WOMEN4

With at least one family member unemployed, total................................. 1,168 1,890 100.0 100.0

Employment of family members

Some family member(s) employed................................................... 625 943 53.5 49.9

No family member employed......................................................... 543 947 46.5 50.1

Unemployment of family members

Householder unemployed............................................................. 516 942 44.1 49.8

Other member(s) employed........................................................ 152 266 13.0 14.1

Other family member(s) unemployed................................................ 653 948 55.9 50.2

FAMILIES MAINTAINED BY MEN4

With at least one family member unemployed, total................................. 543 942 100.0 100.0

Employment of family members

Some family member(s) employed................................................... 331 518 61.1 55.0

No family member employed......................................................... 211 424 38.9 45.0

Unemployment of family members

Householder unemployed............................................................. 287 559 52.9 59.4

Other member(s) employed........................................................ 138 218 25.4 23.2

Other family member(s) unemployed................................................ 255 383 47.1 40.6

1 Beginning with data for 2019, includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2019, included opposite-sex married-couple

families only.

2

Includes families with both spouses unemployed.

3 Total opposite-sex married couple families with unemployed husbands, including those with unemployed wives.

4 Beginning with data for 2019, includes families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2019, included only families with no opposite-sex

spouse present.

NOTE: In families maintained by women or men with no spouse present, householder refers to the woman or man maintaining the family. Detail may

not sum to totals due to rounding. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Family estimates reflect a

change in the classification of marital status. Data for 2019 and 2020 incorporate this change into the definition of families, which expands the

definition of married-couple families to include same-sex married couples. As a result, data under the new definition are not strictly comparable with

data for previous years. Data for 2019 in this news release incorporate the new definition; therefore, 2019 estimates shown here do not match those

published in the ′′Employment Characteristics of Families--2019′′ news release and in the BLS online database.
Table 4. Families with own children: Employment status of parents by age of youngest child and family type,

2019-2020 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Number Percent distribution

2019 2020 2019 2020

WITH OWN CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS

Total families.............................................................................. 33,460 33,047 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed.................................................................... 30,584 29,259 91.4 88.5

No parent employed................................................................... 2,876 3,788 8.6 11.5

Total married-couple families1

Total........................................................................................ 23,005 22,921 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed.................................................................... 22,421 21,846 97.5 95.3

Both parents employed............................................................. 14,810 13,705 64.4 59.8

Only one parent employed......................................................... 7,611 8,141 33.1 35.5

Neither parent employed.............................................................. 583 1,075 2.5 4.7

Opposite-sex married couple families

Total...................................................................................... 22,923 22,826 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed................................................................. 22,342 21,755 97.5 95.3

Mother employed................................................................. 15,841 15,044 69.1 65.9

Both parents employed........................................................ 14,754 13,642 64.4 59.8

Mother employed, not father.................................................. 1,088 1,402 4.7 6.1

Father employed, not mother.................................................... 6,501 6,711 28.4 29.4

Neither parent employed........................................................... 581 1,071 2.5 4.7

Families maintained by mother2

Total...................................................................................... 7,850 7,526 100.0 100.0

Mother employed.................................................................... 5,934 5,344 75.6 71.0

Mother not employed................................................................ 1,916 2,181 24.4 29.0

Families maintained by father2

Total...................................................................................... 2,605 2,601 100.0 100.0

Father employed..................................................................... 2,228 2,069 85.5 79.6

Father not employed................................................................ 377 531 14.5 20.4

WITH OWN CHILDREN 6 TO 17 YEARS, NONE YOUNGER

Total families.............................................................................. 19,351 19,246 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed.................................................................... 17,700 17,109 91.5 88.9

No parent employed................................................................... 1,651 2,137 8.5 11.1

Total married-couple families1

Total........................................................................................ 12,943 12,939 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed.................................................................... 12,555 12,315 97.0 95.2

Both parents employed............................................................. 8,766 8,090 67.7 62.5

Only one parent employed......................................................... 3,790 4,224 29.3 32.6

Neither parent employed.............................................................. 388 624 3.0 4.8

Opposite-sex married couple families

Total...................................................................................... 12,898 12,887 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed................................................................. 12,512 12,266 97.0 95.2

Mother employed................................................................. 9,469 8,944 73.4 69.4

Both parents employed........................................................ 8,736 8,058 67.7 62.5

Mother employed, not father.................................................. 733 886 5.7 6.9

Father employed, not mother.................................................... 3,043 3,322 23.6 25.8

Neither parent employed........................................................... 387 621 3.0 4.8

Families maintained by mother2

Total...................................................................................... 4,842 4,731 100.0 100.0

Mother employed.................................................................... 3,835 3,538 79.2 74.8

Mother not employed................................................................ 1,007 1,193 20.8 25.2

Families maintained by father2

Total...................................................................................... 1,566 1,576 100.0 100.0

Father employed..................................................................... 1,311 1,256 83.7 79.7

Father not employed................................................................ 255 320 16.3 20.3

WITH OWN CHILDREN UNDER 6 YEARS

Total families.............................................................................. 14,109 13,801 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed.................................................................... 12,884 12,150 91.3 88.0

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Families with own children: Employment status of parents by age of youngest child and family type,

2019-2020 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

Number Percent distribution

2019 2020 2019 2020

No parent employed................................................................... 1,225 1,651 8.7 12.0

Total married-couple families1

Total........................................................................................ 10,061 9,983 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed.................................................................... 9,866 9,531 98.1 95.5

Both parents employed............................................................. 6,045 5,614 60.1 56.2

Only one parent employed......................................................... 3,821 3,917 38.0 39.2

Neither parent employed.............................................................. 195 451 1.9 4.5

Opposite-sex married couple families

Total...................................................................................... 10,025 9,939 100.0 100.0

Parent(s) employed................................................................. 9,830 9,490 98.1 95.5

Mother employed................................................................. 6,372 6,100 63.6 61.4

Both parents employed........................................................ 6,017 5,584 60.0 56.2

Mother employed, not father.................................................. 355 516 3.5 5.2

Father employed, not mother.................................................... 3,458 3,390 34.5 34.1

Neither parent employed........................................................... 194 450 1.9 4.5

Families maintained by mother2

Total...................................................................................... 3,008 2,795 100.0 100.0

Mother employed.................................................................... 2,099 1,807 69.8 64.6

Mother not employed................................................................ 909 988 30.2 35.4

Families maintained by father2

Total...................................................................................... 1,040 1,024 100.0 100.0

Father employed..................................................................... 918 813 88.3 79.4

Father not employed................................................................ 122 211 11.7 20.6

1 Beginning with data for 2019, includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married-couple families. Prior to 2019, included opposite-sex married-couple

families only.

2 Beginning with data for 2019, includes families with no spouse of either sex present. Prior to 2019, included only families with no opposite-sex

spouse present.

NOTE: Own children include sons, daughters, step-children, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related

and unrelated children. Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January

data. Family estimates reflect a change in the classification of marital status. Data for 2019 and 2020 incorporate this change into the definition of

families, which expands the definition of married-couple families to include same-sex married couples. As a result, data under the new definition are

not strictly comparable with data for previous years. Data for 2019 in this news release incorporate the new definition; therefore, 2019 estimates

shown here do not match those published in the ′′Employment Characteristics of Families--2019′′ news release and in the BLS online database.
Table 5. Employment status of the population by sex, marital status, and presence and age of own children

under 18, 2019-2020 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2019 2020

Total Men Women Total Men Women

WITH OWN CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 63,971 28,773 35,199 63,242 28,569 34,673

Civilian labor force.................................................. 52,291 26,848 25,443 51,063 26,361 24,702

Participation rate.................................................. 81.7 93.3 72.3 80.7 92.3 71.2

Employed.......................................................... 50,802 26,253 24,550 47,742 24,892 22,850

Full-time workers1.............................................. 44,521 25,239 19,282 42,008 23,796 18,212

Part-time workers2

............................................. 6,282 1,014 5,268 5,734 1,097 4,638

Employment-population ratio.................................... 79.4 91.2 69.7 75.5 87.1 65.9

Unemployed....................................................... 1,489 596 893 3,321 1,469 1,852

Unemployment rate............................................ 2.8 2.2 3.5 6.5 5.6 7.5

Total married, spouse present3

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 49,057 24,712 24,345 48,799 24,511 24,287

Civilian labor force.................................................. 40,289 23,252 17,037 39,673 22,858 16,816

Participation rate.................................................. 82.1 94.1 70.0 81.3 93.3 69.2

Employed.......................................................... 39,486 22,847 16,639 37,542 21,760 15,782

Full-time workers1

.............................................. 34,921 22,059 12,862 33,329 20,878 12,451

Part-time workers2

............................................. 4,565 788 3,777 4,213 882 3,331

Employment-population ratio.................................... 80.5 92.5 68.3 76.9 88.8 65.0

Unemployed....................................................... 803 405 398 2,131 1,097 1,034

Unemployment rate............................................ 2.0 1.7 2.3 5.4 4.8 6.1

Other marital status4

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 14,915 4,061 10,854 14,443 4,057 10,385

Civilian labor force.................................................. 12,002 3,596 8,405 11,389 3,504 7,886

Participation rate.................................................. 80.5 88.6 77.4 78.9 86.3 75.9

Employed.......................................................... 11,316 3,405 7,910 10,200 3,132 7,068

Full-time workers1

.............................................. 9,600 3,180 6,419 8,679 2,918 5,762

Part-time workers2............................................. 1,716 225 1,491 1,521 215 1,306

Employment-population ratio.................................... 75.9 83.9 72.9 70.6 77.2 68.1

Unemployed....................................................... 686 191 495 1,189 371 818

Unemployment rate............................................ 5.7 5.3 5.9 10.4 10.6 10.4

WITH OWN CHILDREN 6 TO 17 YEARS, NONE YOUNGER

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 35,897 16,046 19,851 35,666 15,967 19,699

Civilian labor force.................................................. 30,010 14,760 15,250 29,437 14,588 14,848

Participation rate.................................................. 83.6 92.0 76.8 82.5 91.4 75.4

Employed.......................................................... 29,196 14,429 14,767 27,621 13,825 13,797

Full-time workers1

.............................................. 25,735 13,880 11,855 24,433 13,233 11,200

Part-time workers2............................................. 3,461 549 2,912 3,189 592 2,597

Employment-population ratio.................................... 81.3 89.9 74.4 77.4 86.6 70.0

Unemployed....................................................... 814 331 483 1,815 764 1,052

Unemployment rate............................................ 2.7 2.2 3.2 6.2 5.2 7.1

WITH OWN CHILDREN UNDER 6 YEARS

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 28,075 12,727 15,348 27,575 12,602 14,973

Civilian labor force.................................................. 22,281 12,088 10,193 21,626 11,773 9,853

Participation rate.................................................. 79.4 95.0 66.4 78.4 93.4 65.8

Employed.......................................................... 21,606 11,823 9,783 20,121 11,068 9,053

Full-time workers1

.............................................. 18,786 11,359 7,427 17,575 10,563 7,012

Part-time workers2

............................................. 2,820 464 2,356 2,546 505 2,041

Employment-population ratio.................................... 77.0 92.9 63.7 73.0 87.8 60.5

Unemployed....................................................... 675 265 410 1,505 705 800

Unemployment rate............................................ 3.0 2.2 4.0 7.0 6.0 8.1

WITH NO OWN CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 195,204 96,581 98,623 197,087 97,353 99,734

Civilian labor force.................................................. 111,277 59,859 51,418 109,680 58,843 50,837

Participation rate.................................................. 57.0 62.0 52.1 55.7 60.4 51.0

Employed.......................................................... 106,771 57,232 49,540 100,053 53,668 46,385

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 5. Employment status of the population by sex, marital status, and presence and age of own children

under 18, 2019-2020 annual averages — Continued

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2019 2020

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Full-time workers1.............................................. 86,126 48,614 37,512 81,180 45,666 35,515

Part-time workers2............................................. 20,645 8,618 12,027 18,872 8,002 10,870

Employment-population ratio.................................... 54.7 59.3 50.2 50.8 55.1 46.5

Unemployed....................................................... 4,506 2,628 1,878 9,627 5,175 4,452

Unemployment rate............................................ 4.0 4.4 3.7 8.8 8.8 8.8

1 Usually work 35 hours or more per week at all jobs.

2 Usually work less than 35 hours per week at all jobs.

3 Beginning with data for 2019, includes persons in both opposite-sex and same-sex marriages. Prior to 2019, included only persons in opposite-sex

marriages.

4 Beginning with data for 2019, includes persons who are never married; widowed; divorced; separated; and married, spouse absent. Prior to 2019,

included persons in same-sex marriages as well.

NOTE: Own children include sons, daughters, step-children, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related

and unrelated children. Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January

data. Estimates for 2019 and 2020 introduce a change in the classification of marital status; estimates of married persons refer to those in

opposite-sex and same-sex marriages. As a result, data by marital status are not strictly comparable with data for previous years. Data for 2019 in

this news release incorporate the new classification; therefore, 2019 estimates shown here do not match those published in the ′′Employment

Characteristics of Families--2019′′ news release and in the BLS online database.
Table 6. Employment status of mothers with own children under 3 years old by single year of age of youngest

child and marital status, 2019-2020 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

Characteristic

2019 2020

With own children under 3 years old With own children under 3 years old

Total 2 years 1 year Under 1

year

Total 2 years 1 year Under 1

year

TOTAL MOTHERS

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 8,732 2,690 3,182 2,859 8,480 2,698 3,071 2,711

Civilian labor force..................................... 5,545 1,789 2,042 1,714 5,371 1,797 1,940 1,634

Participation rate.................................... 63.5 66.5 64.2 60.0 63.3 66.6 63.2 60.3

Employed............................................. 5,316 1,718 1,956 1,642 4,943 1,653 1,783 1,507

Full-time workers1

................................ 3,968 1,282 1,469 1,217 3,785 1,298 1,320 1,167

Part-time workers2

................................ 1,348 436 487 425 1,158 355 463 340

Employment-population ratio...................... 60.9 63.9 61.5 57.4 58.3 61.3 58.1 55.6

Unemployed.......................................... 229 71 86 72 428 144 157 127

Unemployment rate.............................. 4.1 4.0 4.2 4.2 8.0 8.0 8.1 7.8

Total married, spouse present3

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 6,243 1,916 2,294 2,033 6,181 1,971 2,239 1,971

Civilian labor force..................................... 3,900 1,211 1,452 1,237 3,887 1,281 1,412 1,194

Participation rate.................................... 62.5 63.2 63.3 60.8 62.9 65.0 63.1 60.6

Employed............................................. 3,808 1,184 1,416 1,208 3,650 1,201 1,323 1,126

Full-time workers1................................ 2,866 886 1,073 907 2,827 956 985 886

Part-time workers2

................................ 942 298 342 302 823 245 338 240

Employment-population ratio...................... 61.0 61.8 61.7 59.4 59.0 60.9 59.1 57.1

Unemployed.......................................... 92 27 36 28 238 80 89 69

Unemployment rate.............................. 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.3 6.1 6.3 6.3 5.8

Other marital status4

Civilian noninstitutional population..................... 2,489 774 888 826 2,299 727 831 740

Civilian labor force..................................... 1,645 578 590 477 1,484 516 528 440

Participation rate.................................... 66.1 74.6 66.4 57.8 64.6 70.9 63.5 59.5

Employed............................................. 1,508 534 540 434 1,294 452 460 382

Full-time workers1................................ 1,102 396 396 310 959 342 336 281

Part-time workers2

................................ 406 138 145 124 335 110 125 100

Employment-population ratio...................... 60.6 69.0 60.8 52.5 56.3 62.1 55.3 51.6

Unemployed.......................................... 137 43 50 44 190 64 68 58

Unemployment rate.............................. 8.3 7.5 8.4 9.1 12.8 12.4 12.9 13.3

1 Usually work 35 hours or more per week at all jobs.

2 Usually work less than 35 hours per week at all jobs.

3 Beginning with data for 2019, includes persons in both opposite-sex and same-sex marriages. Prior to 2019, included only persons in opposite-sex

marriages.

4 Beginning with data for 2019, includes persons who are never married; widowed; divorced; separated; and married, spouse absent. Prior to 2019,

included persons in same-sex marriages as well.

NOTE: Own children include sons, daughters, step-children, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related

and unrelated children. Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January

data. Estimates for 2019 and 2020 introduce a change in the classification of marital status; estimates of married persons refer to those in

opposite-sex and same-sex marriages. As a result, data by marital status are not strictly comparable with data for previous years. Data for 2019 in

this news release incorporate the new classification; therefore, 2019 estimates shown here do not match those published in the ′′Employment

Characteristics of Families--2019′′ news release and in the BLS online database.