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1

Technical information:

(202) 691-6378
http://www.bls.gov/cps/

Media contact:

691-5902

USDL 04-2402
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Wednesday, December 1, 2004

LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS OF FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS IN 2003
In 2003, foreign-born workers made up about 14 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force age 16 and
over, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. About 21.1 million, or
67.4 percent of the foreign born, were in the labor force, compared with 66.1 percent of the native born.
The unemployment rates for the foreign born and native born in 2003 were 6.6 and 5.9 percent, respectively,
both slightly higher than in 2002.
This news release compares the labor force characteristics of the foreign born with those of their nativeborn counterparts. These data on nativity are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a
monthly sample survey of households that is the primary source of information on the nation’s labor force.
The foreign born are persons residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. That is, they
were born outside the United States or one of its outlying areas, such as Puerto Rico or Guam, to parents
neither of whom was a U.S. citizen. For further information about the survey, see the Technical Note.
Demographic Characteristics
The demographic characteristics of the foreign-born labor force differ significantly in many respects
from those of the native born. For example, men made up a larger proportion of the foreign-born labor
force (60 percent) in 2003 than they did of the native-born labor force (52 percent). Also, the proportion
of the foreign-born labor force made up of those of prime working age (25- to 54-year olds) is higher than
for their native-born counterparts (76 and 69 percent, respectively). (See table 1.)
A much higher proportion of the foreign-born than the native-born labor force resided in the West
region—37 and 20 percent, respectively, in 2003. About 36 percent of the native-born labor force lived
in the South and 26 percent resided in the Midwest, compared with 30 and 11 percent, respectively, of the
foreign born. (See table 6.)
About 48 percent of the foreign-born labor force was Hispanic or Latino, and 22 percent was Asian,
compared with only about 7 and 1 percent, respectively, of the native-born labor force. Just 1 out of 5
of the foreign-born labor force was white, compared with nearly 4 out of 5 of the native-born labor force.
(Data in this release are presented for non-Hispanic whites, blacks, and Asians and for persons of Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity. See the Technical Note for more information.) (See table 1.)
In terms of educational attainment, nearly 30 percent of the foreign-born labor force 25 years old and
over had not completed high school, compared with only about 7 percent of the native-born labor force.
About equal proportions of both the foreign and native born had a college degree (31 and 32 percent,
respectively).

2

Labor Force Participation
In 2003, foreign-born men were more likely to be labor force participants (80.6 percent) than their native-born counterparts (72.3 percent). In contrast, foreign-born women were less likely to be labor force
participants than native-born women—54.2 versus 60.4 percent. For men as well as women, the differences
held across age groups. (See table 1.)
The labor force participation rate for foreign-born women with children under age 18 was 59.6 percent
in 2003, compared with 73.6 percent for native-born mothers. Among women with children under age 3,
the participation rate for the foreign born was 44.7 percent, while that for the native born was 62.3 percent.
About 95 percent of both foreign- and native-born fathers with children under 3 were in the labor force.
(See table 2.)
Foreign-born blacks, Asians, and Hispanics or Latinos were more likely to be in the labor force
than their native-born counterparts. Among the foreign born, the labor force participation rate for whites
(59.9 percent) was lower than for blacks (74.5 percent), Asians (67.2 percent), and Hispanics or Latinos
(69.9 percent). The lower labor force participation rate for foreign-born whites is due, in part, to their older age profile. (See table 1.)
The labor force participation rate of the foreign born 25 years old and over who had not completed
high school (60.9 percent) was higher than that for their native-born counterparts (37.6 percent). Among
high school graduates who did not attend college, the participation rate for the foreign born also was higher
than that for the native born. The difference in participation rates between the native born with a high school
education or less and their foreign-born counterparts was partly because the native born with these levels of
education tended to be older, on average, than the foreign born. At the upper end of the educational scale,
however, the participation rate for foreign-born college graduates was 76.5 percent, about the same as the
rate for the native born—78.5 percent. (See table 1.)
The participation rate of the foreign born without a high school diploma was much higher than that for the
native born with the same level of education among blacks and Hispanics or Latinos. In comparison, among
college graduates, the participation rates of foreign-born whites, Asians, and Hispanics or Latinos were lower
than those of their native-born counterparts. However, foreign-born blacks with college degrees were more
likely to participate in the labor force than their native-born counterparts. (See table 3.)
Unemployment
In 2003, unemployment rates of foreign- and native-born men were about the same—6.2 and 6.3
percent, respectively. Among women, however, the jobless rate of the foreign born was 7.1 percent,
compared with 5.5 percent for the native born. Overall, the unemployment rates of the foreign born in
most of the major age groups tended to be higher than the rates for the native born; the exception was
16- to 24-year olds, where the rate for the foreign born was somewhat lower. (See table 1.)
The unemployment rates for the foreign born were higher than those for their native-born counterparts for
most levels of education. Among those without a high school diploma, however, the foreign born were less
likely to be unemployed than the native born.
Occupation
Foreign-born workers were concentrated in service occupations (23 percent) and in production, transportation, and material moving occupations (18 percent) in 2003. By way of comparison, the proportions
of native-born workers employed in these occupations were 15 and 12 percent, respectively. In 2003,

3

17 and 10 percent, respectively, of foreign-born workers were employed in professional and related occupations and in management, business, and financial operations occupations, compared with proportions
of 21 and 15 percent for the native born. (See table 4.)
Foreign-born men were more likely than native-born men to be employed in service; natural resources,
construction, and maintenance; and production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Compared
with native-born women, foreign-born women were more likely to be employed in service and in production,
transportation, and material moving occupations. Both foreign-born men and women workers were less
likely to be employed in professional and related occupations and in sales and office occupations than their
native-born counterparts.
Earnings
In 2003, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were
$489 compared with $643 for the native born. Among the men, the median earnings for the foreign born
were $503 per week, compared with $732 for the native born. Similarly, the median for foreign-born women was $459, compared with $567 for the native born. As with the native born, the earnings of the foreign born increased with education. The foreign born age 25 and over with less than a high school education earned $369 per week in 2003, while the earnings of those with college degrees were more than twice
as much—$909 a week. (See table 5.)

Technical Note
The estimates in this release are based on annual average
data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS, which
is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households
that provides information on the labor force status, demographics, and other characteristics of the nation’s civilian
noninstitutional population age 16 and over. In response to the
increased demand for statistical information about the foreign
born, questions on nativity, citizenship, year of entry into the
United States, and the parental nativity of respondents were
added to the CPS beginning in January 1994. Prior to 1994, the
primary sources of data on the foreign born were the decennial
census, two CPS supplements (conducted in April 1983 and
November 1989), and, to some extent, information collected by
the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known
as the Immigration and Naturalization Service).
In January 2003, the Census Bureau introduced a large
upward adjustment to the population controls for the CPS as
part of its annual update of population estimates. This
adjustment increased estimates for all population and labor
force categories. Consequently, estimated levels for 2003 are
not strictly comparable with those for 2002. The upward
adjustments in labor force levels, however, had only negligible
effects on ratios such as the labor force participation rate and
the employment-population ratio. In addition, there were
several other significant changes introduced into the CPS in
January 2003 that affected the data presented in this release.
For a detailed discussion of these changes, see “Revisions to
the Current Population Survey Effective in January 2003” in the
February 2003 issue of Employment and Earnings and available
at http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf on the BLS Web site.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200,
TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and
nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire
population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample
estimates may differ from the “true” population values they
represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending upon the particular sample selected, and this
variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.
There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that
an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6
standard errors from the “true” population value because of
sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90percent level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.
Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the
failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain
information for all respondents in the sample, inability or

unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information,
and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS
and information on estimating standard errors, see the
“Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error” section of
Employment and Earnings.
Concepts and definitions
Foreign born. The foreign born are persons residing in the
United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. That is, they
were born outside the United States or one of its outlying areas
such as Puerto Rico or Guam, to parents neither of whom was
a U.S. citizen. The foreign-born population includes legallyadmitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such
as students and temporary workers, and undocumented
immigrants.
Native born. The native born are persons born in the United
States or one of its outlying areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam
or who were born abroad of at least one parent who was a U.S.
citizen.
Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the data are
presented for non-Hispanic whites, blacks, and Asians and for
persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. These four groups are
mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other race groups
(including persons who selected more than one race category)
are included in the overall totals but are not shown separately
because the number of survey respondents is too small to
develop statistically reliable estimates. The presentation of the
data on race and ethnicity in this release differs from that which
appears in most analyses of CPS labor force data in that persons
of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are separated from the race
groups. Because persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity can
be of any race, they are usually included in the race groups as
well as shown separately in the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
group. The reason for the difference in the data presentation
in this release is because about half of the foreign born are of
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and they have somewhat different
labor force characteristics than the non-Hispanic foreign
born.
Employed. Employed persons are (a) all those who, during
the survey reference week, did any work at all as paid
employees, worked in their own business, profession, or on
their own farm, or who worked 15 hours or more as unpaid
workers in a family-operated enterprise; and (b) all those who
did not work but had jobs or businesses from which they were
temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, vacation,
childcare problems, labor disputes, or personal reasons,
whether or not they were paid for the time off and whether or
not they were seeking other jobs.
Unemployed. The unemployed are persons who had no
employment during the reference week, were available for work
at that time, except for temporary illness, and had made specific

efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period
ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to
be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not
be looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
Civilian labor force. The civilian labor force comprises all
persons classified as employed or unemployed.
Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the number
unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force.
Labor force participation rate. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population.

Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before
taxes and other deductions and include any overtime pay,
commissions, or tips usually received (at the main job in the
case of multiple jobholders). Earnings reported on a basis other
than weekly are converted to a weekly equivalent.
Median earnings. The median is the amount which divides
a given earnings distribution into two equal groups, one having
earnings above the median and the other having earnings below
the median.

Table 1. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations by selected characteristics,
2002-03 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
2002

2003

Civilian labor force
Characteristic

Civilian
noninstitutional
population

Civilian labor force
Unemployed

Total

ParticipaEmployed
tion rate

Number

Unemployment
rate

Civilian
noninstitutional
population

Unemployed
Total

ParticipaEmployed
tion rate

Number

Unemployment
rate

FOREIGN BORN
Total 16 years and over ....................
Men .....................................................
Women ...............................................

30,096
15,049
15,047

20,279
12,102
8,177

67.4
80.4
54.3

18,998
11,401
7,598

1,281
702
579

6.3
5.8
7.1

31,331
15,669
15,662

21,117
12,634
8,482

67.4
80.6
54.2

19,731
11,850
7,881

1,385
784
601

6.6
6.2
7.1

Age
16 to 24 years .....................................
25 to 34 years .....................................
35 to 44 years .....................................
45 to 54 years .....................................
55 to 64 years .....................................
65 years and over ...............................

4,200
7,366
7,085
4,993
3,052
3,400

2,558
5,664
5,739
3,980
1,890
448

60.9
76.9
81.0
79.7
61.9
13.2

2,298
5,312
5,420
3,762
1,781
425

260
352
319
218
108
23

10.2
6.2
5.6
5.5
5.7
5.2

4,135
7,784
7,450
5,245
3,195
3,521

2,456
5,925
6,026
4,200
2,016
494

59.4
76.1
80.9
80.1
63.1
14.0

2,203
5,551
5,673
3,935
1,903
465

252
375
353
264
113
28

10.3
6.3
5.9
6.3
5.6
5.8

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity 1
White non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...........
Black non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...........
Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...........
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity .................

6,890
2,189
7,261
13,667

4,086
1,613
4,913
9,605

59.3
73.7
67.7
70.3

3,856
1,494
4,647
8,943

230
119
267
662

5.6
7.4
5.4
6.9

7,128
2,391
6,867
14,627

4,267
1,782
4,613
10,226

59.9
74.5
67.2
69.9

4,048
1,631
4,324
9,513

219
152
289
713

5.1
8.5
6.3
7.0

Educational attainment
Total, 25 years and over ..................
Less than a high school diploma ........
High school graduates, no college 3 ...
Some college or associate degree .....
Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 ..........

25,895
8,288
6,440
4,069
7,099

17,721
5,025
4,275
2,961
5,461

68.4
60.6
66.4
72.8
76.9

16,701
4,661
4,034
2,775
5,231

1,020
364
240
186
230

5.8
7.2
5.6
6.3
4.2

27,196
8,823
6,778
4,147
7,447

18,661
5,376
4,596
2,991
5,698

68.6
60.9
67.8
72.1
76.5

17,528
4,949
4,335
2,811
5,433

1,133
427
261
180
265

6.1
7.9
5.7
6.0
4.7

Total 16 years and over .................... 187,474
Men .....................................................
89,536
Women ...............................................
97,938

124,584
65,397
59,186

66.5
73.0
60.4

117,487
61,502
55,984

7,097
3,895
3,202

5.7
6.0
5.4

189,837
90,766
99,072

125,393
65,603
59,790

66.1
72.3
60.4

118,005
61,481
56,523

7,389
4,122
3,267

5.9
6.3
5.5

31,142
31,106
36,809
34,718
23,291
30,408

19,808
26,532
31,187
28,617
14,420
4,020

63.6
85.3
84.7
82.4
61.9
13.2

17,385
24,994
29,815
27,519
13,893
3,881

2,423
1,538
1,372
1,097
527
140

12.2
5.8
4.4
3.8
3.7
3.5

31,762
31,237
36,296
35,277
24,533
30,733

19,642
26,418
30,669
29,071
15,296
4,298

61.8
84.6
84.5
82.4
62.3
14.0

17,148
24,832
29,207
27,979
14,696
4,143

2,494
1,585
1,462
1,092
600
155

12.7
6.0
4.8
3.8
3.9
3.6

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity 1
White non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ........... 148,567
Black non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...........
22,432
2,335
Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...........
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity .................
12,296

99,263
14,312
1,527
8,338

66.8
63.8
65.4
67.8

94,605
12,803
1,416
7,647

4,658
1,509
110
691

4.7
10.5
7.2
8.3

148,569
22,484
2,228
12,924

98,833
14,215
1,414
8,587

66.5
63.2
63.5
66.4

94,057
12,644
1,342
7,859

4,776
1,571
73
727

4.8
11.1
5.1
8.5

Educational attainment
Total, 25 years and over .................. 156,332
Less than a high school diploma ........
20,094
High school graduates, no college 3 ...
52,421
Some college or associate degree .....
41,899
4
Bachelor’s degree and higher ..........
41,918

104,776
7,574
33,489
30,656
33,057

67.0
37.7
63.9
73.2
78.9

100,102
6,874
31,744
29,319
32,165

4,674
700
1,745
1,337
892

4.5
9.2
5.2
4.4
2.7

158,075
19,333
52,701
42,594
43,447

105,751
7,271
33,330
31,058
34,093

66.9
37.6
63.2
72.9
78.5

100,857
6,588
31,522
29,609
33,138

4,894
682
1,808
1,449
955

4.6
9.4
5.4
4.7
2.8

NATIVE BORN

Age
16 to 24 years .....................................
25 to 34 years .....................................
35 to 44 years .....................................
45 to 54 years .....................................
55 to 64 years .....................................
65 years and over ...............................

1 Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
2 Beginning in 2003, includes persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to 2003, persons who

reported more than one race group were included in the group they identified as their main race. Asian data for 2002 include Pacific Islanders.
3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical
Note for further information.

Table 2. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by
presence and age of youngest child and sex, 2002-03 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
2002

2003

Characteristic
Total

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

With own children under 18
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

11,752
8,921
75.9
8,393
71.4
528
5.9

5,568
5,200
93.4
4,949
88.9
251
4.8

6,184
3,721
60.2
3,444
55.7
277
7.4

12,520
9,488
75.8
8,896
71.1
592
6.2

5,985
5,593
93.4
5,284
88.3
309
5.5

6,534
3,895
59.6
3,611
55.3
283
7.3

With own children 6 to 17, none younger
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

5,836
4,646
79.6
4,401
75.4
245
5.3

2,705
2,486
91.9
2,379
88.0
107
4.3

3,131
2,160
69.0
2,022
64.6
138
6.4

6,253
4,975
79.6
4,688
75.0
287
5.8

2,893
2,663
92.0
2,516
87.0
147
5.5

3,360
2,313
68.8
2,172
64.7
140
6.1

With own children under 6
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

5,916
4,275
72.3
3,992
67.5
283
6.6

2,863
2,714
94.8
2,570
89.8
144
5.3

3,053
1,561
51.1
1,422
46.6
139
8.9

6,267
4,513
72.0
4,208
67.1
305
6.8

3,092
2,930
94.8
2,769
89.5
162
5.5

3,174
1,582
49.8
1,439
45.3
143
9.0

With own children under 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

3,512
2,466
70.2
2,294
65.3
172
7.0

1,722
1,636
95.0
1,543
89.6
92
5.7

1,790
830
46.4
751
41.9
80
9.6

3,740
2,618
70.0
2,450
65.5
168
6.4

1,878
1,786
95.1
1,693
90.2
93
5.2

1,862
832
44.7
757
40.6
75
9.0

With no own children under 18
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

18,344
11,358
61.9
10,605
57.8
753
6.6

9,481
6,902
72.8
6,452
68.0
450
6.5

8,862
4,456
50.3
4,154
46.9
302
6.8

18,811
11,629
61.8
10,836
57.6
793
6.8

9,684
7,041
72.7
6,566
67.8
475
6.8

9,127
4,588
50.3
4,270
46.8
318
6.9

With own children under 18
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

53,574
44,537
83.1
42,488
79.3
2,050
4.6

23,583
22,297
94.5
21,453
91.0
843
3.8

29,991
22,241
74.2
21,034
70.1
1,206
5.4

53,492
44,271
82.8
42,196
78.9
2,075
4.7

23,593
22,261
94.4
21,421
90.8
839
3.8

29,899
22,010
73.6
20,774
69.5
1,236
5.6

With own children 6 to 17, none younger
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

30,389
26,108
85.9
25,091
82.6
1,018
3.9

13,358
12,513
93.7
12,084
90.5
429
3.4

17,031
13,596
79.8
13,007
76.4
589
4.3

30,167
25,839
85.7
24,784
82.2
1,054
4.1

13,334
12,444
93.3
12,004
90.0
440
3.5

16,833
13,394
79.6
12,780
75.9
614
4.6

FOREIGN BORN

NATIVE BORN

See footnotes at end of table.

Table 2. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by
presence and age of youngest child and sex, 2002-03 annual averages — Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
2002

2003

Characteristic
Total

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

With own children under 6
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

23,185
18,429
79.5
17,397
75.0
1,032
5.6

10,225
9,784
95.7
9,370
91.6
414
4.2

12,960
8,645
66.7
8,027
61.9
618
7.1

23,324
18,432
79.0
17,411
74.6
1,021
5.5

10,259
9,816
95.7
9,417
91.8
399
4.1

13,065
8,616
65.9
7,994
61.2
621
7.2

With own children under 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

13,648
10,653
78.1
10,032
73.5
621
5.8

6,087
5,851
96.1
5,602
92.0
250
4.3

7,561
4,801
63.5
4,430
58.6
371
7.7

13,625
10,518
77.2
9,900
72.7
617
5.9

6,037
5,787
95.9
5,541
91.8
245
4.2

7,588
4,731
62.3
4,359
57.4
372
7.9

With no own children under 18
Civilian noninstitutional population ....................... 133,900
Civilian labor force ..............................................
80,046
Participation rate .............................................
59.8
Employed ..........................................................
74,999
Employment-population ratio ..........................
56.0
Unemployed .....................................................
5,047
Unemployment rate ........................................
6.3

65,953
43,101
65.4
40,049
60.7
3,052
7.1

67,947
36,946
54.4
34,950
51.4
1,996
5.4

136,346
81,123
59.5
75,809
55.6
5,314
6.6

67,173
43,343
64.5
40,060
59.6
3,283
7.6

69,173
37,780
54.6
35,749
51.7
2,031
5.4

NATIVE BORN—Continued

NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly
comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical Note for further information.

Table 3. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 25 years and over by educational attainment,
race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2002-03 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
2002
Characteristic

Less than
a high
school
diploma

2003

High school
graduates,
no college 1

Some
college or
associate
degree

Bachelor’s
degree and
higher 2

Less than
a high
school
diploma

High school
graduates,
no college 1

Some
college or
associate
degree

Bachelor’s
degree and
higher 2

FOREIGN BORN
White non-Hispanic or Latino 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

971
344
35.4
325
33.4
19
5.6

1,817
982
54.0
927
51.0
55
5.6

1,202
748
62.2
699
58.2
48
6.5

2,313
1,681
72.7
1,605
69.4
76
4.5

910
291
32.0
274
30.1
17
6.0

1,857
1,029
55.4
978
52.6
51
5.0

1,238
772
62.4
730
59.0
42
5.5

2,506
1,825
72.8
1,749
69.8
76
4.2

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

382
242
63.3
216
56.6
26
10.6

536
397
74.2
374
69.9
23
5.8

441
372
84.3
346
78.5
26
6.9

483
419
86.8
400
82.8
19
4.6

366
223
60.9
195
53.3
28
12.5

629
494
78.5
458
72.9
35
7.1

477
393
82.2
361
75.7
31
7.9

564
490
86.9
458
81.2
32
6.6

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

906
418
46.2
383
42.3
35
8.4

1,329
883
66.4
837
63.0
46
5.2

1,052
765
72.7
718
68.2
47
6.2

3,157
2,449
77.6
2,354
74.6
96
3.9

867
405
46.7
366
42.2
39
9.7

1,304
863
66.2
811
62.2
51
6.0

932
675
72.4
628
67.3
47
7.0

3,033
2,321
76.5
2,211
72.9
110
4.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

6,021
4,018
66.7
3,735
62.0
284
7.1

2,735
1,995
72.9
1,879
68.7
116
5.8

1,351
1,062
78.6
997
73.8
65
6.1

1,123
891
79.3
853
75.9
38
4.3

6,645
4,436
66.8
4,095
61.6
341
7.7

2,916
2,160
74.1
2,040
70.0
120
5.6

1,428
1,093
76.6
1,036
72.6
58
5.3

1,247
983
78.9
940
75.4
44
4.4

White non-Hispanic or Latino 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

13,708
4,949
36.1
4,570
33.3
379
7.7

42,308
26,440
62.5
25,263
59.7
1,177
4.5

33,828
24,356
72.0
23,412
69.2
944
3.9

36,975
28,946
78.3
28,210
76.3
736
2.5

13,010
4,713
36.2
4,348
33.4
365
7.7

42,044
26,005
61.9
24,811
59.0
1,194
4.6

33,809
24,276
71.8
23,312
69.0
965
4.0

37,843
29,493
77.9
28,708
75.9
786
2.7

Black non-Hispanic or Latino 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

3,606
1,349
37.4
1,159
32.1
191
14.1

6,359
4,303
67.7
3,912
61.5
391
9.1

5,005
3,864
77.2
3,607
72.1
257
6.6

2,848
2,338
82.1
2,242
78.7
96
4.1

3,448
1,267
36.8
1,088
31.6
179
14.1

6,410
4,292
67.0
3,878
60.5
414
9.6

5,001
3,820
76.4
3,521
70.4
298
7.8

3,022
2,458
81.3
2,364
78.2
95
3.9

Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 3
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

85
30
35.3
27
32.2
3
8.8

337
216
64.2
204
60.6
12
5.5

409
311
76.0
292
71.5
18
5.9

645
528
81.8
507
78.6
21
4.0

132
50
38.0
46
34.7
4
8.8

294
174
59.0
167
56.8
7
3.8

358
251
70.2
243
68.0
8
3.1

755
611
81.0
593
78.6
18
3.0

NATIVE BORN

See footnotes at end of table.

Table 3. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 25 years and over by educational attainment,
race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2002-03 annual averages — Continued
(Numbers in thousands)
2002
Characteristic

2003

Less than
a high
school
diploma

High school
graduates,
no college 1

Some
college or
associate
degree

Bachelor’s
degree and
higher 2

Less than
a high
school
diploma

High school
graduates,
no college 1

Some
college or
associate
degree

Bachelor’s
degree and
higher 2

2,365
1,123
47.5
1,010
42.7
113
10.1

2,887
2,172
75.2
2,041
70.7
131
6.0

2,218
1,818
82.0
1,726
77.8
92
5.1

1,248
1,083
86.8
1,054
84.4
29
2.7

2,324
1,088
46.8
977
42.1
110
10.2

3,078
2,270
73.7
2,129
69.1
141
6.2

2,487
2,008
80.7
1,890
76.0
118
5.9

1,350
1,142
84.6
1,099
81.4
43
3.8

NATIVE BORN—Continued
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Civilian noninstitutional population .......................
Civilian labor force ..............................................
Participation rate .............................................
Employed ..........................................................
Employment-population ratio ..........................
Unemployed .....................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................

1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
2 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.
3 Beginning in 2003, includes persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to

2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they identified as their main race. Asian data for 2002 include Pacific
Islanders.
NOTE: Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Due to the introduction of revised population
controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical Note for further information.

Table 4. Employed foreign-born and native-born persons 16 years and over by occupation and sex,
2003 annual averages
(Percent distribution)
Foreign born

Native born

Occupation
Total

Men

Total employed (thousands) ...........................................................
Percent ...........................................................................................

19,731
100.0

11,850
100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations .........................
Management, business, and financial operations occupations ........
Management occupations ..............................................................
Business and financial operations occupations ..............................
Professional and related occupations ...............................................
Computer and mathematical occupations ......................................
Architecture and engineering occupations .....................................
Life, physical, and social science occupations ...............................
Community and social services occupations ..................................
Legal occupations ...........................................................................
Education, training, and library occupations ...................................
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations ..........
Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations .........................

26.3
9.6
6.8
2.8
16.8
3.0
2.0
1.2
1.0
.4
3.3
1.5
4.5

Service occupations ...........................................................................
Healthcare support occupations .......................................................
Protective service occupations .........................................................
Food preparation and serving related occupations ..........................
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations .........
Personal care and service occupations ............................................

Women

Total

Men

Women

7,881
100.0

118,005
100.0

61,481
100.0

56,523
100.0

24.8
9.9
7.8
2.1
14.9
3.6
2.9
1.2
.7
.4
2.0
1.4
2.6

28.7
9.1
5.2
3.9
19.5
2.0
.7
1.3
1.3
.4
5.1
1.6
7.2

36.2
15.3
11.1
4.2
20.9
2.2
2.0
1.0
1.7
1.2
6.0
2.0
4.9

33.8
16.9
13.3
3.6
17.0
2.9
3.2
1.0
1.3
1.2
2.9
2.0
2.3

38.8
13.6
8.8
4.8
25.2
1.3
.6
.9
2.2
1.2
9.4
2.0
7.7

22.9
2.5
.8
8.0
8.1
3.4

18.2
.5
1.1
8.1
7.2
1.2

29.9
5.6
.5
7.8
9.4
6.6

14.9
2.1
2.2
4.8
2.8
3.0

11.9
.4
3.3
3.6
3.4
1.3

18.2
3.9
.9
6.2
2.3
4.9

Sales and office occupations ..............................................................
Sales and related occupations .........................................................
Office and administrative support occupations .................................

18.4
9.4
9.0

13.3
8.2
5.2

26.0
11.3
14.7

27.0
11.9
15.1

18.3
11.7
6.7

36.4
12.3
24.2

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ........
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .......................................
Construction and extraction occupations ..........................................
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ...........................

14.1
2.1
9.0
3.1

22.2
2.6
14.7
4.9

2.0
1.3
.4
.3

9.7
.5
5.4
3.8

17.7
.8
10.0
6.9

.9
.2
.3
.3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ............
Production occupations ....................................................................
Transportation and material moving occupations .............................

18.3
11.3
7.0

21.5
11.9
9.7

13.4
10.5
2.9

12.2
6.3
5.9

18.2
8.6
9.6

5.7
3.9
1.8

NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those
for 2002. See the Technical Note for further information.

Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers for the foreign born and native born by selected
characteristics, 2002-03 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
2002
Foreign born

2003

Native born

Characteristic

Earnings
Foreign born
of foreign
born as
Median
Median
percent of
weekly
weekly
Number
native
earnings
earnings
born

Native born

Earnings
of foreign
born as
Median
percent of
weekly
native
earnings
born

Number

Median
weekly
earnings

Number

Total, 16 years and over ...........................
Men .............................................................
Women .......................................................

14,759
9,265
5,494

$478
497
437

85,322
47,079
38,243

$627
716
547

76.3
69.4
79.9

15,227
9,666
5,560

$489
503
459

85,076
46,560
38,516

$643
732
567

76.0
68.7
80.8

Age
16 to 24 years .............................................
25 to 34 years .............................................
35 to 44 years .............................................
45 to 54 years .............................................
55 to 64 years .............................................
65 years and over .......................................

1,665
4,397
4,354
2,827
1,302
214

337
468
524
527
518
457

9,456
20,387
23,271
21,261
9,595
1,351

389
610
693
729
696
509

86.5
76.7
75.5
72.3
74.5
89.8

1,512
4,642
4,493
2,984
1,355
241

345
466
522
567
600
500

9,278
20,134
22,602
21,461
10,084
1,516

393
615
716
742
725
518

87.7
75.8
72.8
76.4
82.8
96.6

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 1
White non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...................
Black non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...................
Asian non-Hispanic or Latino 2 ...................
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity .........................

2,783
1,207
3,525
7,203

660
494
660
384

67,206
10,451
968
5,934

666
500
683
508

99.1
98.8
96.6
75.6

2,863
1,266
3,250
7,690

681
515
689
398

66,371
10,258
991
5,944

683
515
732
523

99.7
99.8
94.0
76.1

Educational attainment
Total, 25 years and over ..........................
Less than a high school diploma ................
High school graduates, no college 3 ...........
Some college ..............................................
Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 ..................

13,095
3,691
3,177
2,155
4,072

503
361
444
553
891

75,866
4,829
23,940
22,440
24,656

670
412
552
638
948

75.1
87.6
80.5
86.6
94.0

13,715
4,034
3,359
2,135
4,186

511
369
467
576
909

75,798
4,559
23,724
22,475
25,040

688
430
569
647
971

74.2
86.0
82.1
89.0
93.6

Number

1 Data for race/ethnicity groups do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.
2 Beginning in 2003, includes persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to

2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they identified as their main race. Asian data for 2002 include Pacific
Islanders.
3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002.
See the Technical Note for further information.

Table 6. Employment status of the foreign-born and native-born populations 16 years and over by census regions and divisions,
2002-03 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
2002

2003

Civilian labor force
Census regions and
divisions

Civilian
noninstitutional
population

Total

Participation rate

Employed

Civilian labor force

Civilian
noninstituUnemployed
tional
Unemploy- population
Number
ment rate

Unemployed
Total

Participation rate

Employed
Number

Unemployment rate

FOREIGN BORN
Northeast ..................
New England ..........
Middle Atlantic ........

6,952
1,325
5,627

4,594
918
3,676

66.1
69.3
65.3

4,318
868
3,449

276
50
226

6.0
5.4
6.2

6,936
1,334
5,601

4,577
920
3,657

66.0
68.9
65.3

4,275
856
3,419

301
63
238

6.6
6.9
6.5

South ........................
South Atlantic .........
East South
Central ................
West South
Central ................

8,553
5,047

5,800
3,436

67.8
68.1

5,447
3,228

353
209

6.1
6.1

9,158
5,442

6,305
3,753

68.8
69.0

5,932
3,545

373
208

5.9
5.5

386

265

68.6

255

10

3.6

389

275

70.7

262

12

4.5

3,120

2,099

67.3

1,964

135

6.4

3,327

2,277

68.5

2,125

153

6.7

Midwest ....................
East North Central ..
West North
Central ................

3,379
2,641

2,343
1,807

69.3
68.4

2,196
1,690

147
117

6.3
6.5

3,504
2,683

2,404
1,814

68.6
67.6

2,235
1,688

169
126

7.0
6.9

738

536

72.7

506

30

5.6

820

589

71.8

546

43

7.3

West .........................
Mountain .................
Pacific .....................

11,212
1,868
9,344

7,543
1,290
6,253

67.3
69.1
66.9

7,038
1,211
5,827

505
79
426

6.7
6.1
6.8

11,733
1,835
9,899

7,831
1,287
6,544

66.7
70.2
66.1

7,290
1,210
6,079

542
77
465

6.9
6.0
7.1

Northeast ..................
New England ..........
Middle Atlantic ........

35,481
9,862
25,619

23,257
6,753
16,504

65.5
68.5
64.4

21,969
6,432
15,537

1,288
322
966

5.5
4.8
5.9

35,685
9,809
25,876

23,066
6,670
16,396

64.6
68.0
63.4

21,754
6,321
15,433

1,312
348
964

5.7
5.2
5.9

South ........................
South Atlantic .........
East South
Central ................
West South
Central ................

68,150
35,189

44,173
22,893

64.8
65.1

41,719
21,694

2,454
1,199

5.6
5.2

69,398
35,584

44,841
23,041

64.6
64.8

42,265
21,850

2,576
1,191

5.7
5.2

12,619

7,908

62.7

7,452

456

5.8

12,890

8,077

62.7

7,591

487

6.0

20,343

13,373

65.7

12,574

799

6.0

20,924

13,723

65.6

12,824

899

6.5

Midwest ....................
East North Central ..
West North
Central ................

47,049
32,789

32,349
22,080

68.8
67.3

30,586
20,784

1,763
1,296

5.5
5.9

46,720
32,487

32,088
21,877

68.7
67.3

30,221
20,504

1,867
1,374

5.8
6.3

14,260

10,268

72.0

9,801

467

4.5

14,233

10,210

71.7

9,717

493

4.8

West .........................
Mountain .................
Pacific .....................

36,793
12,107
24,686

24,804
8,293
16,512

67.4
68.5
66.9

23,213
7,820
15,393

1,592
473
1,119

6.4
5.7
6.8

38,034
12,477
25,557

25,398
8,471
16,928

66.8
67.9
66.2

23,765
7,996
15,769

1,634
475
1,159

6.4
5.6
6.8

NATIVE BORN

NOTE: The states (plus the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are:
New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont);
Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania);
South Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia);
East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee);
West South Central Division (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas);
East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin);
West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota);
Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming);
Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington).
Due to the introduction of revised population controls in January 2003, estimated levels for 2003 are not strictly comparable with those for 2002. See the Technical Note for
further information.