CIVPARTLabor Force Participation Rate (CIVPART) — Current Value & Historical Data
Labor Force Participation Rate (CIVPART) Chart & Data Table
Gray bands: NBER recessions
What is Labor Force Participation Rate (CIVPART)?
The labor force participation rate is the share of the U.S. civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and older that is either employed or actively looking for work, published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the denominator behind the unemployment rate — a falling participation rate can lower the unemployment rate without any real gain in employment, because people who stop searching are no longer counted as unemployed. The headline rate peaked at 67.3% in early 2000 as women's labor-force entry peaked, and has since drifted lower to the 62–63% range, driven largely by the aging of the baby-boom generation out of working life. Prime-age participation (ages 25 to 54) strips out the demographic effect and has fully recovered its pre-pandemic high above 83%, indicating a structurally tight working-age labor market.
Current Labor Force Participation Rate (CIVPART) Value
As of June 1, 2026, the current labor force participation rate is 61.50 Percent. This is the most recent observation available for this series, updated monthly.
Labor Force Participation Rate Historical Trend
Labor Force Participation Rate fell 0.49% month-over-month. Over the past year, labor force participation rate fell 1.44% from May 2025. In the series' tracked history, the highest recorded value was 67.30 (January 2000), and the lowest was 58.10 (December 1954).
Methodology & Source
Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Frequency
Monthly
Units
Percent
Notes
The series comes from the 'Current Population Survey (Household Survey)' The source code is: LNS11300000 The Labor Force Participation Rate is defined by the Current Population Survey (CPS) as “the number of people in the labor force as a percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population […...
Frequently Asked Questions About Labor Force Participation Rate (CIVPART)
What is the current labor force participation rate?
As of June 1, 2026, labor force participation rate stands at 61.50 Percent.
Where does labor force participation rate data come from?
Labor Force Participation Rate data is sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) system and related U.S. government agencies. Data quality and historical coverage vary by series.
How often is labor force participation rate updated?
This series is updated according to its publication schedule. Check FRED or the source agency for the most current release calendar.
What is the historical high and low for labor force participation rate?
In the available data, the highest value was 67.30 Percent in January 2000, and the lowest was 58.10 Percent in December 1954.
How has labor force participation rate changed over the past year?
Over the past year, labor force participation rate decreased 1.44%.
See Labor Force Participation Rate in context
CIVPART is tracked on the Labor Market dashboard, alongside related indicators and historical context.
View the Labor Market dashboard →Related government-spending dashboards
How Labor Force Participation Rate connects to the federal budget across GOVSPENDING.ORG:
Federal Debt
Total public debt, debt held by the public, and intragovernmental holdings.
Receipts vs Outlays
Federal revenue, spending, and the resulting surplus or deficit over time.
Congressional Activity
Recent legislation, appropriations, and fiscal-related bills in Congress.
Interest Expense vs Revenue
How rising debt service costs crowd out federal spending as a share of receipts over time.
Revenue Composition
Federal receipts broken down by source — individual income, corporate, social insurance, excise taxes, and customs duties as shares of total revenue.
Agency Spending (FY 2019 vs FY 2024)
Net outlays by federal agency for FY 2019 and FY 2024, from the Treasury Monthly Treasury Statement. Both nominal and inflation-adjusted comparisons.
Related Indicators
Compare Labor Force Participation Rate with related indicators
See how Labor Force Participation Rate stacks up against related series in a side-by-side chart and explainer: