2021 Work Experience of the Population — 2022-12-08

The number of persons who experienced unemployment at some point during 2021 was 16.1 million, down significantly from 26.4 million in 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Labor market conditions continued to improve in 2021, reflecting the resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. The proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over who worked at some time during 2021 was 63.3 percent, little changed from 2020. The proportion who worked at some time during 2021 was 1.6 percentage points below the pre-pandemic rate in 2019. 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.