Attachment F-CPS-Fact-Sheet

Unemployment Rate for Persons
25 Years and Older by Education

Percentage of Persons Employed
(Annual averages)

(Annual averages for 2020)
Men, age 16+
Women, age 16+

11.7

Less than high school

72.0

70.9

72.0

70.8

71.9

69.6
63.7

55.6

54.3
47.7

57.5

56.2

50.4

65.3

53.6

High school graduate

62.4

53.7

9.0

51.5
Some college, no degree

8.3

Associate degree

7.1

Bachelor's degree or more

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

4.8

2020

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Unemployment Rate for 2008 to 2020

(Annual averages)
12

9.3

9.6
8.9

9

8.1

8.1
7.4

5.8

6.2
5.3

6

4.9

4.4

3.9

3.7

3

0
2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Connect with us
@uscensusbureau
Issued April 2021

BC-1433

Fact Sheet for the
Current Population Survey

P e o p l e w h o h a ve j o b s . . . . . .
those who want jobs......
a n d t h o s e n o t i n t h e j o b m a r ke t .
What this survey is about?
This survey is the Current Population
Survey. Its main purpose is to collect up-todate figures on people who have jobs,
those who want jobs, and those who are
not in the market for jobs. The U.S. Census
Bureau collects the information and the U.S.
Department of Labor publishes the results.
The survey results include a number of
high-profile economic statistics, including
the nation’s unemployment rate that you
read or hear about monthly in the news.

Why we need the Current
Population Survey.
In a nation as large as ours and one that is
changing so rapidly, we need up-to-date
facts in order to plan effective programs
for the future. In addition to a complete
census (conducted every 10 years) and
the American Community Survey (taken
annually), it is essential that we obtain
some types of information more frequently.
Utilizing the Current Population Survey, on
a monthly basis we collect information on
the number of persons working, the kind of
work they do, and the number of persons
looking for work (the unemployed) so that
we can keep abreast of changes.

Legal authorization.
Congress authorized the collection of
most of the information requested in this
survey under Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections
8b, 141, and 182; and Title 29, U.S. Code,

Section 2. In some months, the survey may
contain questions authorized under laws
other than those cited. You can obtain further
information concerning the authority for any
particular portion of the survey from the field
representative who visits your household.

Number of times we will visit you.

Why your answers are important.

We chose this address, not you as a person
or a family. If you should move during the
period, we will interview the new family that
moves to this address.

People in government and private organizations
need the statistics that we obtain from this
survey to develop and evaluate economic
policies that are consistent with the current
needs of the nation. For this reason, it is
extremely important that these statistics be
as reliable as possible. The only way we can
achieve this needed reliability is through the
cooperation of sample households such as yours
in providing complete and accurate information.
Your answers represent your household and
approximately 2,000 other households similar to
yours. In all, we select about 59,000 households
to be interviewed each month.

Additional questions.
In addition to questions about jobs, from time
to time we ask questions about other important
areas concerning the economic and social health
of our nation. We may ask how much schooling
people in your household have had, how many
of them are attending school now, what kinds of
work different members have done, whether or
not you have moved in the past year, and other
questions of a similar nature.

We will visit this address each month for 4
months this year and again for 4 months a
year from now.

How you are chosen.

The U.S. Census Bureau is required
by law to protect your information.
The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law
to keep your information confidential. The
Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly
release your responses in a way that could
identify you. By law, the Census Bureau can
only use your responses to produce statistics.
Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement
Act of 2015, your data are protected from
cybersecurity risks through screening of the
systems that transmit your data.

Thank you for your participation in the
Current Population Survey!