Racial and Sex Employment Divides Persist Despite Narrowing Gap

Prime-age employment-population ratio at the end of each of the last three recessions.

Employment-population ratio is number of people employed as a percentage of the civilian non-institutional population age 16 and older. Data series shown is seasonally-unadjusted prime-age (25 - 54 yrs. old). Individuals with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race. Recessionary periods defined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) US business cycle expansions and contractions. Individuals with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race. Data for Asian men and women before 2010 not included due to no data availability.
Chart: Adrian Nesta Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey
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