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4.9 percent of families had an unemployed person in 2019, a historical low
April 24, 2020
In 2019, 4.9 percent of families included an unemployed person. That was the lowest point since 1994, the first year for which comparable data are available, when 8.5 percent of families had an unemployed person.
Percent of families with at least one family member unemployed, by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 1994–2019 annual averages
Year
Total families
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
1994
8.5%
7.5%
14.4%
14.2%
1995
7.9
6.9
13.5
13.5
1996
7.6
6.7
13.8
13.0
1997
7.0
6.1
13.3
11.6
1998
6.4
5.6
11.8
10.6
1999
6.0
5.3
10.6
9.7
2000
5.7
5.0
10.2
9.0
2001
6.6
5.8
11.4
9.9
2002
7.8
7.0
13.1
9.0%
11.2
2003
8.1
7.1
13.7
9.4
11.1
2004
7.4
6.6
12.7
6.7
10.2
2005
7.0
6.1
12.7
6.2
9.0
2006
6.4
5.6
11.4
5.2
8.0
2007
6.3
5.6
10.8
5.4
8.5
2008
7.8
7.1
12.8
6.3
11.0
2009
12.0
11.1
17.4
11.4
16.9
2010
12.4
11.3
19.2
11.3
17.4
2011
11.5
10.4
18.9
10.9
16.3
2012
10.5
9.5
16.8
9.2
14.5
2013
9.6
8.5
16.0
7.8
12.9
2014
8.0
7.0
14.1
7.5
10.8
2015
6.9
6.0
12.0
5.7
9.7
2016
6.5
5.7
10.9
5.6
8.7
2017
5.8
5.2
9.5
5.4
7.7
2018
5.2
4.7
8.4
4.7
7.0
2019
4.9
4.5
7.9
4.1
6.6
In 2019, the percent of families with an unemployed person not only was down from 2018 but was also a historical low for all major race and ethnicity groups. In 2019, Black families (7.9 percent) and Hispanic or Latino families (6.6 percent) remained more likely to have an unemployed member than White (4.5 percent) or Asian (4.1 percent) families.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Employment Characteristics of Families — 2019." A family is a group of two or more people living together who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. Families include those with and without children under age 18. The race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity of the family is determined by that of the family reference person in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented. People whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
United States Department of Labor
