2011 Work Experience of the Population — 2012-12-18

A total of 153.5 million persons worked at some point during 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over who worked at some time during 2011 was 63.3 percent, down from 63.7 percent in 2010. The number of persons who experienced some unemployment during 2011 was 23.7 million, down by 1.5 million from 2010. These data are based on information collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The ASEC collects information on employment and unemployment experienced during the prior calendar year. Additional information about the CPS and the ASEC, including concepts and definitions, is provided in the Technical Note. --The proportion of workers who worked full time, year round in 2011 was 65.8 percent, up from 64.7 percent in 2010.