Labor force participation rate by age in United States
United States: Labor force participation rate by age was 50.81 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
50.81
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
48th
of 188 countries
All-time high
61.35
in 1990
All-time low
49.02
in 2020
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in United States, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 50.81 for labor force participation rate by age in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in United States peaked at 61.35 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 49.02, in 2020.
That places United States 48th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate by age in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 61.35 | — |
| 1991 | 60.17 | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 60.26 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 60.22 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 60.61 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 60.52 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 59.83 | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 59.8 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 59.94 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 59.6 | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 59.9 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 58.74 | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 57.59 | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 56.03 | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 55.65 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 55.31 | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 55.17 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 54.04 | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 53.49 | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 51.73 | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 50.19 | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 50 | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 49.93 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 50.08 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 50.04 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 50.03 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 50.18 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 50.45 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 50.21 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 50.82 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 49.02 | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 50.5 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 50.54 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 51.14 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 50.81 | -0.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 50.81 is above the median for high income countries, which is 40.59, 1.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.23 | 59.6 | 61.35 | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.76 | 51.73 | 59.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.19 | 49.93 | 50.82 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.4 | 49.02 | 51.14 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More work & labour data for United States
- 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 labor force participation rate by age in United States?
- Labor force participation rate by age in United States was 50.81 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 61.35 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.02 in 2020.
- How does United States rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- United States ranks 48th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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