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Civilian Labor Force and Key Demographic Changes
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the civilian labor force was 144,864,000 in 2002, grew to 154,973,000 in 2012, and was 168,500,000 at the end of 2024.
Ethnic distribution continues to change and in 2024 Hispanics represented 19.6% of the civilian labor force, Blacks 13.1%, Whites 60.3% and Asians 7%.
| 2002 | 2012 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 12.8% | 15.5% | 19.6% |
| Black | 11.3% | 11.9% | 13.1 |
| White | 71.8% | 67.1% | 60.3 |
| Asian | 4.1% | 5.5% | 7% |
From 2002 to 2024, the distribution between men and women in the labor force remained relatively constant at 53% for men and 47% for women.
Memory Jogger
What was the size of the U.S. civilian labor force at the end of 2024?
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