Labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America
United States of America: Labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 was 54.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America stood at 54.9%.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America peaked at 64.6% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 42.8%, in 1960.
That places United States of America 22nd out of 171 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 42.8% | — |
| 1961 | 43.4% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 43.3% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 42.9% | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 43.3% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 44.0% | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 46.5% | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 47.6% | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 48.5% | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 50.4% | +3.9% |
| 1970 | 51.3% | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 51.1% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 53.0% | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 54.9% | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 56.6% | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 57.2% | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 58.0% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 59.6% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 61.7% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 62.5% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 61.9% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 61.9% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 62.0% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 61.9% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 62.8% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 63.7% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 64.3% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 64.6% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 64.5% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 64.4% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 62.9% | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 61.7% | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 61.8% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 62.0% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 62.7% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 62.5% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 62.4% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 62.9% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 63.3% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 62.9% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 63.0% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 62.0% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 61.1% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 59.2% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 58.7% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 58.6% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 57.9% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 57.2% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 56.5% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 55.2% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 53.6% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 53.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 53.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 53.5% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 53.6% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 53.8% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 53.8% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 54.3% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 54.5% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 55.1% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 53.2% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 54.5% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 54.6% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 55.9% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 55.4% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 54.9% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 45.3% | 42.8% | 50.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 56.6% | 51.1% | 62.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.2% | 61.9% | 64.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 62.5% | 61.7% | 63.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.9% | 55.2% | 63.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.9% | 53.2% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.8% | 53.2% | 55.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
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 labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America?
- Labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 in United States of America was 54.9% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 64.6% in 1987.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.8% in 1960.
- How does United States of America rank for labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023?
- United States of America ranks 22nd out of 171 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023 rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate for women ages 15-24, 1980 vs. 2023. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the female working-age population aged 15-24 who are economically active (employed or unemployed). Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.