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U.S. Employment Picture at a Glance

Matt Berger Feb 4, 2011

CORRECTED 3/4/2011: This illustration has been updated to display the correct number of employed Americans who work part-time (shown in light green).

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today that the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 9 percent in January 2011. While nearly 14 million Americans were counted as out of work, there are another 2.8 million identified as discouraged unemployed workers or those who have stopped looking for a job in the past 4 weeks.

This illustration breaks down the total civilian non-institutional population (described as eligible workers that aren’t in the military or in prison/institutions) — of which there are 238.7 million in the U.S. — by those who are employed, unemployed, or not counted in the active labor force (like students, stay-at-home parents, and the retired).

Here are the January 2011 job numbers as reported by the BLS:

238.7 million – Civilian Noninstitutional Population
153.2 million – Active Labor Force
139.3 million – Employed (full- or part-time)
13.8 million – Unemployed
85.5 million – Not Active in Labor Force (2.8 million of which are discouraged job seekers who have given up looking for work.)

Infographic: Matt Berger (click to see it full-size)

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