U.S. BLS
Monthly
CIVPART
Labor force participation rate
Level
61.8%
•
Prev 61.8% (+0.00 pt)
2026-05-01 as of
The share of the 16+ population that is working or actively looking for work. Read with the unemployment rate for the full labor-market picture.
Key points
- Share of the 16+ population in the labor force
- Essential for reading the jobless rate (dropouts)
- Also moves with structural factors like aging
- Read the level (%) and direction
How to read it
Always read with the unemployment rate. Whether a falling jobless rate reflects more hiring or more people leaving the labor force shows up here. It also moves with structural factors like aging.
Recent trend
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | 61.8 | 0 |
| 2026-04-01 | 61.8 | -0.1 |
| 2026-03-01 | 61.9 | -0.1 |
| 2026-02-01 | 62 | -0.1 |
| 2026-01-01 | 62.1 | -0.3 |
| 2025-12-01 | 62.4 | -0.1 |
| 2025-11-01 | 62.5 | 0 |
| 2025-09-01 | 62.5 | +0.2 |
| 2025-08-01 | 62.3 | +0.1 |
| 2025-07-01 | 62.2 | -0.1 |
| 2025-06-01 | 62.3 | -0.1 |
| 2025-05-01 | 62.4 | -0.2 |
FAQ
How is it different from the unemployment rate?
The jobless rate is the share of the labor force without a job; participation is the share of the population in the labor force. It helps tell whether a falling jobless rate reflects people dropping out.
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent summary based on the official U.S. data below. Please verify the latest and exact details with the official sources.
- FRED (series page)：CIVPART
- Source agency：U.S. BLS
- FRED last updated：2026-06-05 08:38:13-05
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