What is the labor force participation rate in the US?
It was 62.4% in February 2025. The labor force participation rate measures the percent of people ages 16 and older engaged in the labor market, including those who are working or who are unemployed but actively looking for a job.
Data updated March 21, 2025
62.4%
labor force participation rate (February 2025)
-0.2
percentage point change from February 2024
The rate is a frequently referred to economic indicator. A rising labor force participation rate means a growing share of the working-age population is employed or looking for a job; a falling rate means a shrinking share of people working/looking. Fast labor force growth is tied to faster GDP growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The inverse is true for slower labor force growth.
Various factors influence the labor force participation rate. For example, the rate often falls during recessions or economic shocks, such as the Great Recession or COVID-19 pandemic. It is also impacted by non-economic factors like the aging of the population or the choice of some to attend college rather than work.
In Feb. 2025, the labor force participation rate was 4.7 points below its early 2000 peak.
Seasonally adjusted labor force participation rate, Jan. 1948–Feb. 2025
The labor force participation rate reached a peak of 67.3% in early 2000. Labor force participation followed an upward trend in the several decades leading up to that peak primarily due to more women entering the workforce.
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Labor force participation among women rose 28.1 points between 1948 and 2000.
Seasonally adjusted labor force participation rate by sex, Jan. 1948–Feb. 2025
Men persistently have higher labor force participation rates than women. However, the gap has narrowed since data collection began in 1948. From then until the beginning of 2000, labor force participation fell by 11.6 points among men and grew by 28.1 points among women. In February 2025, 67.6% of men older than 16 were in the labor force while 57.5% of women were, a difference of 10.1 percentage points.
The overall labor force participation rate grew during the second half of the 1900s but trended downwards during the first two decades of the 2000s. The Bureau of Labor Statistics attributes the decline primarily to the aging population. Older adults are less likely to work than younger ones. As older Americans comprise an increasing share of the population, labor force participation declines accordingly.
The labor force participation rate among those 55 and older was 45 points lower than adults ages 25–54 in February.
Seasonally adjusted labor force participation rates by age group, February 2025
In February 2025, the labor force participation rate among people ages 55 and older was 38.1%. It was 83.5% among those ages 25–54, a group often referred to as prime-age workers.
The rate also varies nationwide. This may be the result of varied demographics and economies. In January, the most recent state-level data, the rate was as high as 69.4% in North Dakota and as low as 54.5% in West Virginia. It was 72.1% in Washington, DC, but the capital more closely resembles a city rather than a state.
West Virginia had January 2025’s lowest labor force participation rate.
Seasonally adjusted labor force participation rates by state, January 2025
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Population Survey
