For an in-depth discussion of employment and demographics, please review this 2017 edition of the Research Navigator which discusses employment data. Also read Disability Employment Research: Key Takeaways.

The Current Population Survey (CPS)

The CPS is a monthly survey of a representative sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population ages 16 and up, not including U.S. Territories.

To understand employment statistics, you need to know the meaning of some important terms. Refer to the Employment Terms section of our Key Definitions of Statistical Terms page for definitions of terms used in the statistics below.

Tables:

In the following tables, numbers not in parentheses are estimates for people with visual impairment. Numbers in parentheses are estimates for people without visual impairments.

Annual Labor Force Participation Rate (based on March CPS)1


2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Ages 16-64

40%

41%

43%

39%

34%

34%

35%

(74%)

(74%)

(74%)

(74%)

(73%)

(73%)

(73%)

Ages 16+

23%

24%

25%

23%

19%

20%

21%

(63%)

(64%)

(64%)

(64%)

(64%)

(63%)

(64%)


Monthly Employment Population Ratio (ages 16-64)1

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2020

36%

36%

36%

33%

31%

33%

35%

34%

(72%)

(72%)

(71%)

(61%)

(63%)

(65%)

(66%)

(67%)

2019

39%

38%

38%

36%

36%

37%

36%

36%

35%

35%

37%

37%

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(72%)

(72%)

(72%)

(72%)

(72%)

(72%)

(72%)

(72%)

2018

37%

37%

40%

40%

37%

37%

36%

38%

39%

39%

37%

39%

(70%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(72%)

(72%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

2017

31%

34%

35%

35%

35%

34%

34%

35%

37%

38%

37%

38%

(69%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

(71%)

2016

30%

29%

30%

31%

33%

32%

31%

33%

33%

32%

31%

32%

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

(70%)

2015

31%

32%

30%

32%

34%

34%

35%

35%

32%

32%

30%

31%

(68%)

(68%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(70%)

(70%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

2014

29%

29%

30%

31%

30%

31%

29%

29%

31%

30%

32%

32%

(67%)

(68%)

(68%)

(68%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)

(69%)


Monthly Employment Population Ratio (ages 16 and up)1

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2020

21%

21%

21%

18%

16%

18%

19%

19%

(61%)

(62%)

(60%)

(52%)

(53%)

(55%)

(56%)

(57%)

2019

22%

22%

23%

21%

20%

21%

20%

20%

21%

21%

21%

21%

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(62%)

(62%)

(61%)

(62%)

(62%)

(62%)

(62%)

2018

22%

21%

23%

23%

21%

21%

21%

22%

23%

23%

21%

21%

(60%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(62%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

2017

18%

20%

20%

20%

20%

19%

19%

20%

22%

22%

21%

22%

(60%)

(60%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

2016

18%

17%

17%

17%

18%

18%

18%

19%

19%

19%

18%

19%

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(61%)

(60%)

(61%)

(61%)

(60%)

2015

18%

19%

18%

19%

20%

20%

20%

20%

19%

19%

18%

18%

(59%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

2014

18%

18%

18%

18%

17%

18%

17%

17%

19%

18%

19%

19%

(59%)

(59%)

(59%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)

(60%)


Annual Employment Population Ratio by Sex (based on March CPS): Ages 16-641


2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Females ages 16-64

35%

34%

37%

31%

28%

27%

29%

(66%)

(67%)

(66%)

(66%)

(65%)

(64%)

(63%)

Males ages 16-64

39%

40%

39%

37%

30%

34%

29%

(75%)

(76%)

(76%)

(75%)

(74%)

(73%)

(73%)


Annual Employment Population Ratio by Sex (based on March CPS): Ages 16 and up1


2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Females ages 16 and up

18%

19%

20%

17%

15%

15%

14%

(55%)

(56%)

(56%)

(56%)

(55%)

(55%)

(54%)

Males ages 16 and up

24%

25%

26%

23%

19%

23%

21%

(65%)

(66%)

(66%)

(66%)

(66%)

(65%)

(65%)


  1. Data source: The data on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (CPS), CPS Basic Monthly data, which can be accessed using the Census Bureau’s microdata exploration tools. The CPS asks the same question about visual impairment which is asked in the Census Bureau's American Community Survey: is the person blind or does he/she "have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?"