1995 Work Experience of the Population — 1996-12-17

In 1995, about 139.0 million persons worked at some time during the year, according to data from the annual survey of work experience released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. This level was about 1.4 million higher than a year earlier. The proportion of persons who worked in 1995 was 69.5 percent, the same as in 1994. Nearly four-fifths of those employed during 1995 worked full time--that is, they usually worked 35 hours or more a week--and about 7 in 10 were employed year round (50 to 52 weeks). (See the Explanatory Note for a description of the survey and concepts.) During 1995, 18.1 million workers experienced at least one week of unemployment. About 15.4 million of those, or about 85 percent, also worked at some time during the year. Unemployment, both as a level and as a share of those participating in the labor force, was lower than it was in 1994.