Employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America
United States of America: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 2.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America stood at 2.3%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America peaked at 4.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 2025.
United States of America ranks 135th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.8% | — |
| 1992 | 4.6% | -4.8% |
| 1993 | 4.6% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 4.3% | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 4.2% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 3.8% | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 3.7% | -3.9% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 3.6% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | +8.9% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | -4.0% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 2.3% | -3.1% |
United States of America compared with similar countries
- United States of America's 2.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.4%, 66% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 132 Botswana 2.5% compare
- 133 Puerto Rico 2.3% compare
- 134 South Sudan 2.3% compare
- 136 Czechia 2.2% compare
- 137 Ecuador 2.2% compare
- 138 Burkina Faso 2.0% compare
More work & labour data for United States of America
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 113,208 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.4 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.05 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 159,991 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 141,322 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.55 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.27 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in United States of America was 2.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 2025.
- How does United States of America rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- United States of America ranks 135th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).