Business and Finance > Economy > Labor and Employment

Persons in the Labor Force, 1840–2008

	Labor force¹
Year	Number (thousands)	Percent of working-age population
1840	5,420	46.6%
1850	7,697	46.8
1860	10,533	47.0
1870	12,925	45.8
1880	17,392	47.3
1890	23,318	49.2
1900	29,073	50.2
1910	37,371	52.2
1920	42,434	51.3
1930	48,830	49.5
1940	55,640	55.7
1945	53,860	57.2
1950	62,208	59.2
1955²	65,023	59.3
1960	69,628	59.4
1965²	74,455	58.9
1970	82,771	60.4%
1975²	93,774	61.2
1980²	106,940	63.8
1985	115,461	64.8
1990²	125,840	66.5
1995²	132,304	66.6
1996	133,943	66.8
1997²	136,297	67.1
1998²	137,673	67.1
1999²	139,368	67.1
2000²	142,583	67.1
2001	143,734	66.8
2002	144,863	66.6
2003²	146,510	66.2
2004²	147,401	66.0
2005²	149,320	66.0
2006²	151,370	66.4
2007²	153,866	66.0
2008²	154,287	66.0

1. For 1840 to 1930, the data relate to the population and gainful workers at age 10 and over; for 1940 to 1945, the data relate to the population and labor force at age 14 and over; for 1950 onward, the data relate to the population and labor force at age 16 and over.

2. Not strictly comparable with data for prior years.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web: data.bls.gov .

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