Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United States
United States: Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 1,732 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United States, 1994–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States is 1,732, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 10.2% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States peaked at 2,275 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1,259, in 2000.
That places United States 9th out of 88 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 1,942 | — |
| 1995 | 1,739 | -10.5% |
| 1996 | 1,695 | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 1,560 | -8.0% |
| 1998 | 1,469 | -5.8% |
| 1999 | 1,355 | -7.7% |
| 2000 | 1,259 | -7.1% |
| 2001 | 1,337 | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 1,440 | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 1,509 | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 1,528 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 1,521 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 1,446 | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 1,392 | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 1,535 | +10.3% |
| 2009 | 2,002 | +30.4% |
| 2010 | 2,206 | +10.2% |
| 2011 | 2,225 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 2,275 | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 2,150 | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 2,058 | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 1,871 | -9.1% |
| 2016 | 1,752 | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 1,573 | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 1,481 | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 1,381 | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 1,786 | +29.3% |
| 2021 | 1,686 | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 1,538 | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 1,465 | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 1,571 | +7.2% |
| 2025 | 1,732 | +10.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,627 | 1,355 | 1,942 | 6 |
| 2000s | 1,497 | 1,259 | 2,002 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,897 | 1,381 | 2,275 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,630 | 1,465 | 1,786 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 6 Turkey 2,140 compare
- 7 Senegal 2,074 compare
- 8 Italy 2,057 compare
- 10 Burkina Faso 1,486 compare
- 11 Bangladesh 1,382 compare
- 12 Philippines 1,234 compare
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)
- 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)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Criminal penalties or civil remedies sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States?
- Potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United States was 1,732 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 2,275 in 2012.
- What is the lowest potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,259 in 2000.
- How does United States rank for potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- United States ranks 9th out of 88 countries with data for 2025.
- Is potential labour force (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.