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A profile of the working poor, 2017

About 39.7 million people, or 12.3 percent of the nation’s population, 

lived below the official poverty level in 2017, according to the U.S. 

Census Bureau.(1) (See the technical notes section for examples of 

poverty levels.) Although the poor were primarily adults who had not 

participated in the labor force during the year and children, 6.9 

million individuals were among the “working poor” in 2017, 

according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; this measure 

was down from 7.6 million in 2016. The working poor are people 

who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (that is, working or 

looking for work) but whose incomes still fell below the official 

poverty level. In 2017, the working-poor rate—the ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at least 

27 weeks—was 4.5 percent, 0.4 percentage point lower than the previous year’s figure. (See table A, chart 1, and table 

1.)

Following are some highlights from the 2017 data:

Full-time workers continued to be much less likely to be among the working poor than were part-time workers. 

Among persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2.9 percent of those usually employed full time were 

classified as working poor, compared with 10.9 percent of part-time workers. (See table 1.)

Women were more likely than men to be among the working poor. In addition, Blacks or African Americans and 

Hispanics or Latinos continued to be more than twice as likely as Whites and Asians to be among the working 

poor.(2) (See table 2.)

The likelihood of being classified as working poor diminishes as workers attain higher levels of education. Among 

those with less than a high school diploma, 13.7 percent of those who were in the labor force for at least 27 

weeks were classified as working poor, compared with 1.5 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. 

(See table 3.)

Individuals who were employed in service occupations continued to be more likely to be among the working poor 

than those employed in other major occupational groups. (See table 4.)

Among families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, those with children under 18 

years old were over four times as likely as those without children to live in poverty. Families maintained by women 

were more than twice as likely as families maintained by men to be living below the poverty level. (See table 5.)

April 2019 | Report 1079

Characteristic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Total in the labor 

force(1) 146,567 147,838 147,902 146,859 147,475 148,735 149,483 150,319 152,230 153,364 154,762

Table A. Poverty status of people and primary families in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2007–17 

(Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
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(1)Includes individuals in families, not shown separately.

(2)Primary families with at least one member in the labor force for more than half the year.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

This report presents data on the relationship between labor force activity and poverty status in 2017 for workers and 

their families. These data were collected in the 2018 Annual Social and Economic Supplement of the Current Population 

Survey. (For a detailed description of the source of the data and an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in 

the report, see the technical notes.) The specific income thresholds used to determine people’s poverty status vary, 

depending on whether the individuals are living with family members, living alone, or living with nonrelatives. For people 

living with family members, the poverty threshold is determined by their family’s total income; for individuals not living in 

families, their personal income is used as the determinant.

Characteristic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

In poverty 7,521 8,883 10,391 10,512 10,382 10,612 10,450 9,487 8,560 7,572 6,946

Working poor 

rate 5.1 6.0 7.0 7.2 7.0 7.1 7.0 6.3 5.6 4.9 4.5

Unrelated 

individuals 33,226 32,785 33,798 34,099 33,731 34,810 35,061 35,018 35,953 35,789 36,959

In poverty 2,558 3,275 3,947 3,947 3,621 3,851 4,141 3,395 3,137 2,792 2,524

Working poor 

rate 7.7 10.0 11.7 11.6 10.7 11.1 11.8 9.7 8.7 7.8 6.8

Primary 

families(2) 65,158 65,907 65,467 64,931 66,225 66,541 66,462 66,732 67,193 67,628 67,588

In poverty 4,169 4,538 5,193 5,269 5,469 5,478 5,137 5,108 4,607 4,082 3,854

Working poor 

rate 6.4 6.9 7.9 8.1 8.3 8.2 7.7 7.7 6.9 6.0 5.7

Table A. Poverty status of people and primary families in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 2007–17 

(Numbers in thousands)
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Demographic characteristics

Among those who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2017, the number of women classified as working 

poor (3.8 million) was higher than that of men (3.1 million). The working-poor rate also continued to be higher for women 

(5.3 percent) than for men (3.8 percent). The working-poor rates for both women and men were down from a year earlier 

(table 2).

Blacks and Hispanics were more than twice as likely as Whites and Asians to be among the working poor. In 2017, the 

working-poor rate for both Blacks and Hispanics was 7.9 percent, compared with 3.9 percent for Whites and 2.9 percent 

for Asians (table 2 and chart 2).
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Among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics, the working-poor rate was higher for women than for men. The rates for White 

women and White men who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force were 4.5 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. 

The rate for Black women was 10.0 percent, compared with 5.6 percent for Black men. The working-poor rate for 

Hispanic women was 9.1 percent, while the rate for Hispanic men was 7.0 percent. Among Asians, the rates for women 

and men were little different from each other at 2.5 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.

Young workers are more likely to be poor than are workers in older age groups, in part because earnings are lower for 

young workers and the unemployment rate for young workers is higher. Among youths who were in the labor force for 27 

weeks or more, 8.4 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds and 8.5 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds were living in poverty in 2017. 

Those rates were higher than the rates for workers ages 25 to 34 (5.7 percent) and 35 to 44 (5.0 percent). Workers ages 

45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 and older had lower working-poor rates—3.1 percent, 2.6 percent, and 1.5 percent, 

respectively—than did those in younger age groups (table 2).

Educational attainment

Achieving higher levels of education reduces the incidence of living in poverty. Individuals who complete more years of 

education usually have greater access to higher paying jobs—such as management, professional, and related 

occupations—than those with fewer years of education. Among people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2017, 

those with less than a high school diploma had the highest working-poor rate, at 13.7 percent, while those with a 

bachelor’s degree or higher had the lowest, at 1.5 percent (table 3).
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In 2017, at all levels of educational attainment except for bachelor’s degree or higher, women were more likely than men 

to be among the working poor. Among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, men and women were equally likely to 

be classified as working poor (1.5 percent). Blacks and Hispanics generally were more likely to be among the working 

poor than were Whites and Asians with the same educational attainment.

Occupation

The likelihood of being among the working poor varies widely by occupation. Workers in occupations requiring higher 

education and characterized by relatively high earnings—such as management, professional, and related occupations—

were least likely to be classified as working poor. For example, 1.4 percent of those in management, professional, and 

related occupations were among the working poor in 2017. By contrast, individuals employed in occupations that 

typically do not require high levels of education and that are characterized by relatively low earnings were more likely to 

be among the working poor. For instance, 9.0 percent of service workers who were in the labor force for at least 27 

weeks were classified as working poor in 2017. The 2.3 million working poor employed in service occupations accounted 

for 36 percent of all those classified as working poor. Among those employed in natural resources, construction, and 

maintenance occupations, 6.0 percent were classified as working poor (table 4).

Families

In 2017, 3.9 million families were living below the poverty level despite having at least one member in the labor force for 

half the year or more. This figure was down from 4.1 million in 2016. Among families with only one member in the labor 

force for at least 27 weeks in 2017, married-couple families were less likely to be living below the poverty level, at 7.1 

percent, than were families maintained by women, at 21.5 percent, or families maintained by men, at 10.9 percent (table 

5).

Among families with at least one member in the labor force for more than half the year, those with children in the 

household were much more likely to live below the poverty level than those without children. The proportion of families 

with children under age 18 who lived in poverty was 9.2 percent, compared with 2.0 percent for families without children. 

Among families with children under 18, the working-poor rate for those maintained by women (22.4 percent) was higher 

than that for those maintained by men (10.1 percent). Married-couple families with children under 18 had a working-poor 

rate of 5.0 percent in 2017.

Unrelated individuals

The “unrelated individuals” category includes individuals who live by themselves or with others not related to them. Of 

the 37.0 million unrelated individuals who were in the labor force for half the year or longer, 2.5 million lived below the 

poverty level in 2017, down from 2.8 million a year earlier. The working-poor rate for unrelated individuals was 6.8 

percent, a decrease of 1.0 percentage point from last year’s figure. (See table 6.)

Within the group of unrelated individuals, teenagers continued to be the most likely to be among the working poor. In 

2017, 30.9 percent of teens who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more and who lived on their own or with others 

not related to them lived below the poverty level. Overall, the working-poor rate for men living alone or with nonrelatives 

was 6.2 percent, and the rate for women was 7.5 percent. The working-poor rates for unrelated individuals were higher 

for Hispanics and Blacks (9.9 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively) than for Whites (6.2 percent), and Asians (4.6 

percent). (See table 7.)
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Of the 2.5 million unrelated individuals considered to be among the working poor in 2017, about 3 out of 5 lived with 

others. These individuals had a higher working-poor rate than individuals who lived alone. Many unrelated individuals 

living below the poverty level may live with others out of necessity. By contrast, many of those who live alone do so 

because they have sufficient income to support themselves. Unrelated individuals’ poverty status, however, is 

determined by each person’s resources. The pooling of resources and sharing of living expenses may permit some 

individuals in this category—who are technically classified as poor—to live at a higher standard than they would have if 

they lived alone.

Labor market problems

As noted earlier, people who usually work full time are less likely to live in poverty than are those who work part time, yet 

there remains a sizable group of full-time workers who live below the poverty threshold. Among those who participated in 

the labor force for 27 weeks or more and usually worked in full-time wage and salary jobs, 3.3 million, or 2.7 percent, 

were classified as working poor in 2017—little different than the 3.4-million figure a year earlier. (See table 8).

There are three major labor market problems that can hinder a worker’s ability to earn an income that is above the 

poverty threshold: low earnings, periods of unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment. (See the technical 

notes section for detailed definitions.)

In 2017, 80 percent of the working poor who usually work full time experienced at least one of the major labor market 

problems. Low earnings continued to be the most common problem, with 67 percent subject to low earnings, either as 

the only problem or in combination with other labor market problems. About 28 percent experienced unemployment as 

the main labor market problem or in conjunction with other problems. Three percent of the working poor experienced all 

three problems: low earnings, unemployment, and involuntary part-time employment (table 8).

Some 659,000, or 20 percent, of the working poor who usually worked full time did not experience any of the three 

primary labor market problems in 2017. Their classification as working poor may be explained by other factors, including 

short-term employment, some weeks of voluntary part-time work, or a family structure that increases the risk of poverty.

Notes

(1) “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2017,” Current Population Reports, P60-263 (U.S. Census Bureau, 

September 2018), table 3, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf.

(2) People of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.
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Statistical Tables

Poverty status and work experience Total in labor force

27 weeks or more in labor force

Total 50 to 52 weeks

Total

Total in the labor force 167,538 154,762 141,425

 Did not work during the year 2,375 1,067 907

 Worked during the year 165,163 153,694 140,519

Usual full-time workers 132,784 128,271 120,513

Usual part-time workers 32,379 25,424 20,006

Involuntary part-time workers 6,144 5,282 4,446

Voluntary part-time workers 26,235 20,141 15,560

At or above poverty level

Total in the labor force 158,195 147,816 135,730

 Did not work during the year 1,529 661 551

 Worked during the year 156,666 147,155 135,178

Usual full-time workers 128,244 124,494 117,309

Usual part-time workers 28,422 22,661 17,869

Involuntary part-time workers 4,916 4,311 3,631

Voluntary part-time workers 23,506 18,350 14,238

Below poverty level

Total in the labor force 9,343 6,946 5,696

 Did not work during the year 846 407 355

 Worked during the year 8,497 6,539 5,340

Usual full-time workers 4,540 3,777 3,204

Usual part-time workers 3,957 2,762 2,137

Involuntary part-time workers 1,228 971 816

Voluntary part-time workers 2,729 1,791 1,321

Rate(1)

Total in the labor force 5.6 4.5 4.0

 Did not work during the year 35.6 38.1 39.2

 Worked during the year 5.1 4.3 3.8

Usual full-time workers 3.4 2.9 2.7

Table 1. People in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
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(1)Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Poverty status and work experience Total in labor force

27 weeks or more in labor force

Total 50 to 52 weeks

Usual part-time workers 12.2 10.9 10.7

Involuntary part-time workers 20.0 18.4 18.3

Voluntary part-time workers 10.4 8.9 8.5

Table 1. People in the labor force: poverty status and work experience by weeks in the labor force, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)
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Age and gender

Total Below poverty level Race(1)

Total White Black or African 

American Asian Hispanic or Latino Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino

Total, 16 years 

and older 154,762 120,750 19,225 9,699 26,371 6,946 4,754 1,518 279 2,082 4.5 3.9 7.9 2.9 7.9

16 to 19 

years

3,620 2,851 462 119 769 305 196 74 5 89 8.4 6.9 16.1 4.3 11.6

20 to 24 

years

13,170 9,883 1,951 591 2,890 1,115 672 325 27 241 8.5 6.8 16.6 4.6 8.3

25 to 34 

years

35,065 26,235 4,958 2,420 6,968 1,997 1,324 510 65 603 5.7 5.0 10.3 2.7 8.7

35 to 44 

years

32,662 24,740 4,271 2,519 6,539 1,646 1,170 309 68 645 5.0 4.7 7.2 2.7 9.9

45 to 54 

years

32,769 25,812 3,930 2,136 5,354 1,023 744 166 59 329 3.1 2.9 4.2 2.8 6.1

55 to 64 

years

27,190 22,359 2,845 1,458 3,061 709 533 108 51 147 2.6 2.4 3.8 3.5 4.8

65 years and 

older 10,286 8,870 808 455 791 152 116 27 4 27 1.5 1.3 3.3 0.9 3.4

Men, 16 years 

and older 82,562 65,721 9,047 5,202 15,085 3,132 2,291 503 166 1,051 3.8 3.5 5.6 3.2 7.0

16 to 19 

years

1,772 1,397 212 67 377 114 74 25 3 42 6.4 5.3 11.6 - 11.1

20 to 24 

years

6,842 5,193 965 317 1,592 475 292 119 16 109 6.9 5.6 12.3 5.0 6.8

25 to 34 

years

18,987 14,509 2,366 1,349 4,038 824 614 126 44 290 4.3 4.2 5.3 3.3 7.2

35 to 44 

years

17,740 13,788 2,003 1,366 3,837 787 602 107 38 352 4.4 4.4 5.3 2.8 9.2

45 to 54 

years

17,230 13,889 1,799 1,100 3,048 496 363 76 35 165 2.9 2.6 4.2 3.2 5.4

55 to 64 

years

14,182 11,829 1,330 764 1,735 363 287 41 27 83 2.6 2.4 3.1 3.6 4.8

65 years and 

older 5,810 5,116 371 240 458 74 58 10 2 9 1.3 1.1 2.6 0.9 2.0

Table 2. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, gender, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2017 (Numbers in 

thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
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(1)Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more. Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are 

not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Age and gender

Total Below poverty level Race(1)

Total White Black or African 

American Asian Hispanic or Latino Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino

Women, 16 

years and older 72,199 55,030 10,178 4,497 11,286 3,814 2,463 1,015 113 1,032 5.3 4.5 10.0 2.5 9.1

16 to 19 

years

1,848 1,454 250 52 392 191 122 50 2 47 10.3 8.4 19.9 - 12.1

20 to 24 

years

6,328 4,690 986 274 1,298 640 379 205 11 132 10.1 8.1 20.8 4.1 10.2

25 to 34 

years

16,078 11,726 2,591 1,072 2,930 1,173 710 384 21 313 7.3 6.1 14.8 1.9 10.7

35 to 44 

years

14,922 10,952 2,268 1,154 2,702 859 567 202 30 293 5.8 5.2 8.9 2.6 10.8

45 to 54 

years

15,539 11,923 2,131 1,036 2,306 527 381 90 24 164 3.4 3.2 4.2 2.3 7.1

55 to 64 

years

13,008 10,530 1,515 695 1,326 347 245 67 23 64 2.7 2.3 4.4 3.3 4.9

65 years and 

older 4,476 3,755 437 215 332 78 58 17 2 18 1.7 1.6 3.9 0.9 5.4

Table 2. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, gender, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2017 (Numbers in 

thousands)
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Educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total, 16 years and older 154,762 82,562 72,199 6,946 3,132 3,814 4.5 3.8 5.3

 Less than a high school diploma 12,013 7,488 4,525 1,640 925 715 13.7 12.4 15.8

 Less than 1 year of high school 3,792 2,496 1,296 548 351 197 14.4 14.0 15.2

 1–3 years of high school 6,398 3,822 2,576 901 457 444 14.1 12.0 17.2

 4 years of high school, no diploma 1,823 1,169 654 192 117 75 10.5 10.0 11.4

 High school graduates, no college(2) 40,550 24,017 16,534 2,531 1,076 1,455 6.2 4.5 8.8

 Some college or associate's degree 43,673 21,789 21,885 1,888 690 1,198 4.3 3.2 5.5

 Some college, no degree 27,236 14,142 13,094 1,370 534 836 5.0 3.8 6.4

 Associate's degree 16,437 7,647 8,790 518 156 362 3.2 2.0 4.1

 Bachelor's degree and higher(3) 58,524 29,269 29,255 886 441 445 1.5 1.5 1.5

White, 16 years and older 120,750 65,721 55,030 4,754 2,291 2,463 3.9 3.5 4.5

 Less than a high school diploma 9,482 6,164 3,318 1,185 715 471 12.5 11.6 14.2

 Less than 1 year of high school 3,150 2,170 980 442 291 150 14.0 13.4 15.3

 1–3 years of high school 4,992 3,097 1,895 614 328 286 12.3 10.6 15.1

 4 years of high school, no diploma 1,339 896 443 130 95 34 9.7 10.6 7.8

 High school graduates, no college(2) 31,517 19,023 12,493 1,697 775 922 5.4 4.1 7.4

 Some college or associate's degree 33,806 17,287 16,519 1,216 473 743 3.6 2.7 4.5

 Some college, no degree 20,737 11,051 9,686 863 352 511 4.2 3.2 5.3

 Associate's degree 13,069 6,236 6,833 353 121 232 2.7 1.9 3.4

 Bachelor's degree and higher(3) 45,946 23,247 22,699 655 328 327 1.4 1.4 1.4

Black or African American, 16 years and older 19,225 9,047 10,178 1,518 503 1,015 7.9 5.6 10.0

 Less than a high school diploma 1,344 676 668 296 121 174 22.0 17.9 26.1

 Less than 1 year of high school 220 94 126 36 14 22 16.4 15.0 17.5

 1–3 years of high school 801 413 388 214 92 123 26.8 22.3 31.6

 4 years of high school, no diploma 323 169 154 45 15 30 14.0 9.0 19.4

 High school graduates, no college(2) 6,026 3,284 2,742 609 185 424 10.1 5.6 15.4

 Some college or associate's degree 6,402 2,808 3,595 489 145 343 7.6 5.2 9.5

 Some college, no degree 4,283 1,977 2,306 380 126 254 8.9 6.4 11.0

 Associate's degree 2,119 831 1,288 109 19 89 5.1 2.3 6.9

Table 3. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by educational attainment, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2017 

(Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
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(1)Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

(2)Includes people with a high school diploma or equivalent.

(3)Includes people with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any 

race. Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Educational attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Bachelor's degree and higher(3) 5,453 2,279 3,174 124 51 74 2.3 2.2 2.3

Asian, 16 years and older 9,699 5,202 4,497 279 166 113 2.9 3.2 2.5

 Less than a high school diploma 564 279 285 59 34 25 10.4 12.2 8.6

 Less than 1 year of high school 236 109 127 38 22 16 16.1 20.4 12.5

 1–3 years of high school 238 114 124 16 8 8 6.7 7.2 6.2

 4 years of high school, no diploma 91 56 35 5 4 1 5.3 - -

 High school graduates, no college(2) 1,551 870 681 86 52 34 5.6 6.0 5.1

 Some college or associate's degree 1,727 872 855 56 28 28 3.3 3.2 3.3

 Some college, no degree 1,041 551 490 33 19 14 3.2 3.5 2.8

 Associate's degree 687 321 365 23 9 14 3.4 2.8 3.9

 Bachelor's degree and higher(3) 5,857 3,181 2,676 78 52 26 1.3 1.6 1.0

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older 26,371 15,085 11,286 2,082 1,051 1,032 7.9 7.0 9.1

 Less than a high school diploma 5,987 4,008 1,979 893 553 340 14.9 13.8 17.2

 Less than 1 year of high school 2,851 1,954 897 405 260 145 14.2 13.3 16.2

 1–3 years of high school 2,428 1,542 887 401 225 177 16.5 14.6 20.0

 4 years of high school, no diploma 708 513 195 87 69 18 12.3 13.5 9.3

 High school graduates, no college(2) 8,411 5,164 3,247 676 322 354 8.0 6.2 10.9

 Some college or associate's degree 7,003 3,512 3,491 368 112 256 5.3 3.2 7.3

 Some college, no degree 4,695 2,448 2,246 277 85 191 5.9 3.5 8.5

 Associate's degree 2,309 1,064 1,244 91 27 64 4.0 2.5 5.2

 Bachelor's degree and higher(3) 4,970 2,401 2,569 145 63 82 2.9 2.6 3.2

Table 3. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by educational attainment, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2017 

(Numbers in thousands)
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Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total, 16 years and older(2) 153,694 81,945 71,749 6,539 2,911 3,628 4.3 3.6 5.1

 Management, professional, and related occupations 61,894 29,947 31,948 892 387 505 1.4 1.3 1.6

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations 25,723 14,205 11,518 267 156 111 1.0 1.1 1.0

 Professional and related occupations 36,171 15,742 20,429 625 232 394 1.7 1.5 1.9

 Service occupations 25,902 11,160 14,742 2,341 713 1,628 9.0 6.4 11.0

 Sales and office occupations 32,901 12,929 19,972 1,446 394 1,052 4.4 3.0 5.3

 Sales and related occupations 15,418 7,885 7,534 880 253 627 5.7 3.2 8.3

 Office and administrative support occupations 17,482 5,044 12,438 566 141 425 3.2 2.8 3.4

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 14,332 13,574 758 860 775 85 6.0 5.7 11.2

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 1,181 864 317 115 66 49 9.7 7.7 15.4

 Construction and extraction occupations 8,220 7,982 238 584 553 31 7.1 6.9 12.8

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 4,931 4,728 203 161 155 6 3.3 3.3 2.9

 Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations 18,579 14,261 4,318 997 642 355 5.4 4.5 8.2

 Production occupations 8,681 6,097 2,583 420 222 199 4.8 3.6 7.7

 Transportation and material-moving occupations 9,898 8,164 1,734 577 420 157 5.8 5.1 9.0

White, 16 years and older(2) 120,135 65,385 54,750 4,529 2,172 2,358 3.8 3.3 4.3

 Management, professional, and related occupations 49,277 24,176 25,101 645 286 359 1.3 1.2 1.4

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations 21,233 12,026 9,207 213 126 87 1.0 1.0 0.9

 Professional and related occupations 28,044 12,149 15,895 432 160 272 1.5 1.3 1.7

 Service occupations 18,634 8,168 10,467 1,570 511 1,059 8.4 6.3 10.1

 Sales and office occupations 25,931 10,327 15,604 932 271 661 3.6 2.6 4.2

 Sales and related occupations 12,417 6,538 5,879 553 175 378 4.5 2.7 6.4

 Office and administrative support occupations 13,514 3,788 9,725 378 96 282 2.8 2.5 2.9

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 12,440 11,805 635 720 653 67 5.8 5.5 10.6

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 1,071 805 266 96 57 39 9.0 7.1 14.6

 Construction and extraction occupations 7,184 6,969 215 492 466 26 6.9 6.7 12.1

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 4,184 4,031 153 132 130 2 3.2 3.2 1.4

 Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations 13,790 10,850 2,940 663 450 212 4.8 4.1 7.2

 Production occupations 6,624 4,862 1,763 253 144 109 3.8 3.0 6.2

Table 4. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: poverty status by occupation of longest job held, race, Hispanic or 

Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 14

Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Transportation and material-moving occupations 7,165 5,988 1,177 409 306 104 5.7 5.1 8.8

Black or African American, 16 years and older(2) 18,873 8,833 10,040 1,357 417 940 7.2 4.7 9.4

 Management, professional, and related occupations 5,934 2,258 3,676 142 34 108 2.4 1.5 2.9

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations 2,129 943 1,186 27 5 22 1.3 0.5 1.9

 Professional and related occupations 3,806 1,316 2,490 115 29 86 3.0 2.2 3.4

 Service occupations 4,567 1,835 2,732 556 127 429 12.2 6.9 15.7

 Sales and office occupations 4,181 1,510 2,671 368 86 282 8.8 5.7 10.6

 Sales and related occupations 1,657 686 971 228 54 174 13.8 7.9 17.9

 Office and administrative support occupations 2,525 824 1,700 140 32 108 5.5 3.8 6.4

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1,082 1,013 69 71 59 13 6.6 5.8 -

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 34 14 19 9 3 6 - - -

 Construction and extraction occupations 582 571 10 42 39 3 7.2 6.9 -

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 467 428 39 20 16 4 4.3 3.8 -

 Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations 3,088 2,205 884 218 111 106 7.0 5.1 12.0

 Production occupations 1,194 721 473 110 40 70 9.2 5.6 14.7

 Transportation and material-moving occupations 1,894 1,484 411 107 71 36 5.7 4.8 8.9

Asian, 16 years and older(2) 9,653 5,175 4,479 275 164 112 2.9 3.2 2.5

 Management, professional, and related occupations 5,122 2,820 2,301 61 47 14 1.2 1.7 0.6

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations 1,726 933 792 20 18 2 1.2 2.0 0.2

 Professional and related occupations 3,396 1,887 1,509 41 29 12 1.2 1.5 0.8

 Service occupations 1,550 616 934 98 42 57 6.3 6.8 6.1

 Sales and office occupations 1,639 705 933 41 16 25 2.5 2.2 2.7

 Sales and related occupations 836 443 393 30 12 18 3.6 2.7 4.6

 Office and administrative support occupations 802 262 540 11 4 7 1.3 1.4 1.3

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 361 333 28 20 18 2 5.5 5.4 -

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 39 20 20 3 1 2 - - -

 Construction and extraction occupations 162 156 6 15 15 - 9.3 9.6 -

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 160 157 3 2 2 - 1.3 1.3 -

 Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations 981 698 282 55 41 14 5.6 5.9 4.8

 Production occupations 507 290 217 20 12 8 3.9 4.1 3.5

Table 4. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: poverty status by occupation of longest job held, race, Hispanic or 

Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 15

(1)Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year.

(2)Estimates for the occupational groups do not sum to totals because data includes the long-term unemployed with no previous work experience and a small number of people whose last job was in the Armed Forces.

Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any 

race. Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total Men Women

Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total Men Women Total Men Women

 Transportation and material-moving occupations 474 409 65 35 29 6 7.5 7.2 -

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and older(2) 26,205 14,998 11,207 2,019 1,025 994 7.7 6.8 8.9

 Management, professional, and related occupations 5,939 2,815 3,124 162 65 97 2.7 2.3 3.1

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations 2,449 1,338 1,111 33 19 14 1.3 1.4 1.3

 Professional and related occupations 3,490 1,477 2,013 129 46 83 3.7 3.1 4.1

 Service occupations 6,125 2,714 3,411 737 236 501 12.0 8.7 14.7

 Sales and office occupations 5,325 2,049 3,276 320 77 243 6.0 3.7 7.4

 Sales and related occupations 2,392 1,104 1,289 195 48 147 8.2 4.3 11.4

 Office and administrative support occupations 2,932 946 1,987 124 29 95 4.2 3.1 4.8

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 4,407 4,155 252 465 429 36 10.6 10.3 14.4

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 527 372 156 61 33 28 11.6 9.0 17.9

 Construction and extraction occupations 2,884 2,816 68 336 330 6 11.7 11.7 -

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 995 967 28 68 66 2 6.8 6.8 -

 Production, transportation, and material-moving occupations 4,398 3,253 1,145 335 219 117 7.6 6.7 10.2

 Production occupations 2,079 1,353 726 149 81 67 7.2 6.0 9.3

 Transportation and material-moving occupations 2,319 1,900 419 187 137 49 8.1 7.2 11.8

Table 4. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year: poverty status by occupation of longest job held, race, Hispanic or 

Latino ethnicity, and gender, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 16

Characteristic Total families At or above poverty level Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total primary families 67,588 63,734 3,854 5.7

 With related children under 18 years 34,759 31,547 3,212 9.2

 Without children 32,829 32,187 642 2.0

 With one member in the labor force 29,212 25,803 3,410 11.7

 With two or more members in the labor force 38,376 37,932 444 1.2

 With two members 31,792 31,372 420 1.3

 With three or more members 6,584 6,560 24 0.4

Married-couple families(2) 49,945 48,422 1,523 3.0

 With related children under 18 years 24,275 23,063 1,212 5.0

 Without children 25,670 25,359 311 1.2

 With one member in the labor force 17,497 16,253 1,243 7.1

 Husband 12,463 11,489 973 7.8

 Wife 4,326 4,100 226 5.2

 Relative 708 664 44 6.2

 With two or more members in the labor force 32,448 32,169 280 0.9

 With two members 27,210 26,942 268 1.0

 With three or more members 5,239 5,227 12 0.2

Families maintained by women(3) 12,140 10,199 1,941 16.0

 With related children under 18 years 7,665 5,951 1,714 22.4

 Without children 4,474 4,247 227 5.1

 With one member in the labor force 8,368 6,567 1,801 21.5

 Householder 6,734 5,170 1,564 23.2

 Relative 1,634 1,397 236 14.5

 With two or more members in the labor force 3,772 3,631 140 3.7

Families maintained by men(3) 5,503 5,114 390 7.1

 With related children under 18 years 2,819 2,533 286 10.1

 Without children 2,685 2,581 104 3.9

 With one member in the labor force 3,348 2,982 366 10.9

 Householder 2,744 2,465 279 10.2

 Relative 603 517 86 14.3

 With two or more members in the labor force 2,156 2,132 24 1.1

Table 5. Primary families: poverty status, presence of related children, and work experience of family members in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 

2017 (Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 17

(1)Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year.

(2)Refers to opposite-sex married-couple families only.

(3)No opposite-sex spouse present.

Note: Data relate to primary families with at least one member in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 18

Poverty status and 

work experience Total

In married-couple families(1) In families maintained by women(2) In families maintained by men(2)

Unrelated 

individuals Husbands Wives Related children 

under 18 years

Other 

relatives Householder Related children under 18 years

Other 

relatives Householder Related children under 18 years

Other 

relatives

Total

All people 257,097 60,550 61,186 5,663 22,032 15,410 2,202 14,792 6,394 662 6,910 61,297

With labor force 

activity 167,538 45,465 37,355 1,497 14,062 10,668 474 9,067 4,950 173 4,390 39,438

1 to 26 weeks 12,776 1,512 2,626 827 2,526 660 269 1,097 281 96 403 2,479

27 weeks or 

more

154,762 43,953 34,729 671 11,536 10,008 205 7,969 4,668 77 3,987 36,959

With no labor 

force activity 89,559 15,085 23,832 4,165 7,970 4,741 1,728 5,725 1,444 489 2,520 21,859

At or above poverty 

level

All people 228,963 57,564 58,183 5,321 21,217 11,453 1,516 12,618 5,604 567 6,336 48,583

With labor force 

activity 158,195 44,038 36,676 1,456 13,871 8,642 363 8,428 4,556 159 4,220 35,785

1 to 26 weeks 10,379 1,325 2,417 795 2,460 318 199 886 189 85 356 1,350

27 weeks or 

more

147,816 42,714 34,259 661 11,411 8,324 164 7,542 4,367 75 3,864 34,435

With no labor 

force activity 70,768 13,525 21,507 3,865 7,346 2,811 1,153 4,191 1,048 408 2,116 12,798

Below poverty level

All people 28,134 2,986 3,003 341 815 3,957 686 2,174 790 94 574 12,714

With labor force 

activity 9,343 1,426 678 41 190 2,027 111 639 394 13 170 3,652

1 to 26 weeks 2,397 187 209 32 66 342 70 211 92 11 47 1,129

27 weeks or 

more

6,946 1,239 469 9 124 1,684 41 427 302 2 123 2,524

With no labor 

force activity 18,791 1,560 2,325 300 624 1,930 575 1,535 396 81 404 9,062

Rate(3)

All people 10.9 4.9 4.9 6.0 3.7 25.7 31.1 14.7 12.4 14.3 8.3 20.7

With labor force 

activity 5.6 3.1 1.8 2.8 1.4 19.0 23.4 7.0 8.0 7.7 3.9 9.3

1 to 26 weeks 18.8 12.4 8.0 3.9 2.6 51.9 25.9 19.3 32.8 11.6 11.7 45.5

Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and work experience, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)

See footnotes at end of table.
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 19

(1)Refers to opposite-sex married-couple families only.

(2)No opposite-sex spouse present.

(3)Number below the poverty level as a percent of the total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more who worked during the year.

Note: Dash represents zero, rounds to zero, or indicates that base is less than 80,000.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Poverty status and 

work experience Total

In married-couple families(1) In families maintained by women(2) In families maintained by men(2)

Unrelated 

individuals Husbands Wives Related children 

under 18 years

Other 

relatives Householder Related children under 18 years

Other 

relatives Householder Related children under 18 years

Other 

relatives

27 weeks or 

more

4.5 2.8 1.4 1.4 1.1 16.8 20.1 5.4 6.5 2.9 3.1 6.8

With no labor 

force activity 21.0 10.3 9.8 7.2 7.8 40.7 33.3 26.8 27.4 16.6 16.0 41.5

Table 6. People in families and unrelated individuals: poverty status and work experience, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 20

(1)Number below the poverty level as percent of total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

Note: Estimates for the race groups shown (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any 

race.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Characteristic Total At or above poverty level Below poverty level Rate(1)

Age and gender

Total unrelated individuals 36,959 34,435 2,524 6.8

16 to 19 years 413 285 127 30.9

20 to 24 years 4,360 3,728 632 14.5

25 to 64 years 29,302 27,588 1,714 5.8

65 years and older 2,885 2,834 51 1.8

Men 20,206 18,945 1,261 6.2

Women 16,753 15,490 1,263 7.5

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White 28,482 26,717 1,765 6.2

Men 15,760 14,862 898 5.7

Women 12,722 11,855 867 6.8

Black or African American 5,432 4,912 520 9.6

Men 2,793 2,548 245 8.8

Women 2,639 2,364 275 10.4

Asian 1,762 1,681 82 4.6

Men 971 934 37 3.8

Women 792 747 45 5.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 5,030 4,531 499 9.9

Men 3,198 2,928 270 8.4

Women 1,832 1,603 229 12.5

Living arrangement

Living alone 18,503 17,521 982 5.3

Living with others 18,456 16,915 1,541 8.4

Table 7. Unrelated individuals in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status by age, gender, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and living 

arrangement, 2017 (Numbers in thousands)
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 21

(1)Number below the poverty level as percent of total in the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

(2)The low-earnings threshold in 2017 was $360.78 per week.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Labor market problems Total At or above poverty level Below poverty level Rate(1)

Total, full-time wage and salary workers 121,997 118,683 3,314 2.7

No unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, or low earnings(2) 104,625 103,966 659 0.6

Workers experiencing one labor market problem

 Unemployment only 5,000 4,720 280 5.6

 Involuntary part-time employment only 2,602 2,540 61 2.4

 Low earnings only 6,936 5,451 1,485 21.4

Workers experiencing multiple labor market problems

 Unemployment and involuntary part-time employment 828 742 86 10.4

 Unemployment and low earnings 1,097 659 438 39.9

 Involuntary part-time employment and low earnings 600 405 195 32.5

 Unemployment, involuntary part-time employment, and low earnings 310 199 111 35.7

Workers experiencing each labor market problem

 Unemployment (alone or with other problems) 7,235 6,320 915 12.6

 Involuntary part-time employment (alone or with other problems) 4,340 3,887 453 10.4

 Low earnings (alone or with other problems) 8,943 6,714 2,228 24.9

Table 8. People in the labor force for 27 weeks or more: poverty status and labor market problems of full-time wage and salary workers, 2017 (Numbers 

in thousands)
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 22

Technical Notes

The data presented in this report were collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current 

Population Survey (CPS). Conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPS is a 

monthly sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households. Data from the CPS are used to obtain monthly estimates of 

the nation’s employment and unemployment levels. The ASEC, conducted in the months of February through April, 

includes questions about work activity and income during the previous calendar year. For instance, data collected in 

2018 are for the 2017 calendar year.

Estimates in this report are based on a sample and, consequently, may differ from estimates that would have been 

obtained from a complete count using the same questionnaire and procedures. Sampling variability may be relatively 

large in cases where the numbers are small. Thus, both small estimates and small differences between estimates 

should be interpreted with caution. For a detailed explanation of the ASEC supplement to the CPS, its sampling 

variability, more extensive definitions than those provided here, and additional information about income and poverty 

measures, see “Income and poverty in the United States: 2017,” Current Population Reports, P60-263 (U.S. Census 

Bureau, September 2018), https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf.

Material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.

Upon request, the information in this report is available to individuals who are sensory impaired. Voice phone: (202) 

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

For more information on the data provided in this report, contact the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Labor 

Force Statistics. Email: cpsinfo@bls.gov; Telephone: (202) 691-6378.

Concepts and definitions

Poverty classification. Poverty statistics presented in this report are based on definitions developed by the Social 

Security Administration in 1964 and revised by federal interagency committees in 1969 and 1981. These definitions 

originally were based on the Department of Agriculture’s Economy Food Plan and reflected the different consumption 

requirements of families on the basis of factors such as family size and the number of children under 18 years of age.

The actual poverty thresholds vary with the makeup of the family. In 2017, the weighted average poverty threshold for a 

family of four was $25,094; for a family of nine or more people, the threshold was $50,681; and for one person 

(unrelated individual), it was $12,488. Poverty thresholds are updated each year to reflect changes in the Consumer 

Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Thresholds do not vary geographically. For more information, see “Income 

and Poverty in the United States: 2017,” https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/

p60-263.pdf.

Low earnings. The low-earnings level, as first developed in 1987, represented the average of the real value of the 

minimum wage between 1967 and 1987 for a 40-hour workweek. The year 1967 was chosen as the base year because 

that was the first year in which minimum-wage legislation covered essentially the same broad group of workers that 

currently is covered. The low-earnings level has been adjusted each year since then in accordance with the CPI-U, so 

the measure maintains the same real value that it held in 1987. In 2017, the low-earnings threshold was $360.78 per 

week. For a complete definition, see Bruce W. Klein and Philip L. Rones, “A profile of the working poor,” Monthly Labor 

Review, October 1989, pp. 3–11, https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1989/10/art1full.pdf.
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 23

Income. Data on income are limited to money income—before personal income taxes and payroll deductions—received 

in the calendar year preceding the CPS supplement. Data on income do not include the value of noncash benefits, such 

as food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, public housing, and employer-provided benefits. For a complete definition of 

income, see “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2017,” https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/

publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf.

Labor force. People in the labor force are those who worked or looked for work sometime during the calendar year. The 

number of weeks in the labor force is accumulated over the entire year. The focus in this report is on people who were in 

the labor force for 27 weeks or more.

Working poor. The working poor are people who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (that is, working or looking for 

work) but whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level.

Working-poor rate. This rate is the number of individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks whose incomes still fell 

below the official poverty level, as a percentage of all people who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks during the 

calendar year.

Involuntary part-time workers. These are people who, during at least 1 week of the year, worked fewer than 35 hours 

because of slack work or unfavorable business conditions or because they could not find full-time work. The number of 

weeks of involuntary part-time work is accumulated over the year.

Occupation. This term refers to the job in which a person worked the most weeks during the calendar year.

Unemployed. Unemployed people are those who looked for work while not employed or those who were on layoff from a 

job and were expecting to be recalled to that job. The number of weeks unemployed is accumulated over the entire year.

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 relationships of the other individuals in the household are defined in terms of 

their relationships to the householder. The race or ethnicity of the family is determined by that of the householder.

Family. A family is a group of two or more people residing together who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption; all 

such people 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 people related to and residing with the householder. A subfamily is a family that 

does not maintain its own household, for example, a married couple living in the home of a friend and their family. 

Families include those with or without children under 18 years old. Families are classified either as married-couple 

families, which refers to opposite-sex married couples only, or as those maintained by men or women without oppositesex spouses present. The household may or may not include a same-sex spouse or an unmarried domestic partner of 

either sex. Family status is determined at the time of the survey interview and, thus, may be different from that of the 

previous year.

Unrelated individuals. These are people who are not living with anyone related to them by birth, marriage, or adoption. 

Such individuals may live alone, reside in a nonrelated family household, or live in group quarters with other unrelated 

individuals.
 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Page 24

Related children. Related children are children under age 18 (including sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted 

children) of the husband, wife, or person maintaining the family, as well as other children related to the householder by 

birth, marriage, or adoption.

Race. White, Black or African American, and Asian are categories used to describe the race of people. People in these 

categories are those who selected that race group only. Data for the two remaining race categories—American Indian 

and Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander—and for people who selected more than one race 

category are included in totals, but are not shown separately because the number of survey respondents is too small to 

develop estimates of sufficient quality for publication. In the enumeration process, race is determined by the household 

respondent.

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This term refers to people who identified themselves in the CPS enumeration process as 

being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish ethnicity. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any 

race.