Employed people U.S. 2023

In October 2023, about 161.68 million people were employed in the United States, a slight increase from the previous month. The number of employed people peaked in July 2023, the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Employed persons consist of: persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week; persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-operated enterprise; and persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs because of illness, vacation, bad weather, industrial dispute, or various personal reasons.

Monthly employment level of the United States from January 2011 to October 2023 (in millions, unadjusted)

Characteristic	Number of employees in millions
Oct '23	161.68
Sep '23	161.67
Aug '23	161.43
Jul '23	161.98
Jun '23	161.56
May '23	161
Apr '23	161.08
Mar '23	160.74
Feb '23	159.71
Jan '23	158.69
Dec '22	158.87
Nov '22	158.75
Oct '22	159.14
Sep '22	159
Aug '22	158.71
Jul '22	159.07
Jun '22	158.68
May '22	158.61
Apr '22	157.99
Mar '22	158.11
Feb '22	156.94
Jan '22	155.62
Dec '21	155.73
Nov '21	155.8
Oct '21	154.97
Sep '21	154.03
Aug '21	153.23
Jul '21	153.6
Jun '21	152.28
May '21	151.78
Apr '21	151.16
Mar '21	150.49
Feb '21	149.52
Jan '21	148.38
Dec '20	149.61
Nov '20	150.2
Oct '20	150.43
Sep '20	147.8
Aug '20	147.22
Jul '20	144.49
Jun '20	142.81
May '20	137.46
Apr '20	133.33
Mar '20	155.17
Feb '20	158.02
Jan '20	156.99
Dec '19	158.5
Nov '19	158.95
Oct '19	159.07
Sep '19	158.48
Aug '19	157.82
Jul '19	158.39
Jun '19	157.83
May '19	157.15
Apr '19	156.71
Mar '19	156.44
Feb '19	156.17
Jan '19	154.96
Dec '18	156.48
Nov '18	157.01
Oct '18	156.95
Sep '18	156.19
Aug '18	155.54
Jul '18	157
Jun '18	156.47
May '18	156.01
Apr '18	155.35
Mar '18	154.88
Feb '18	154.4
Jan '18	152.85
Dec '17	153.6
Nov '17	154.18
Oct '17	154.22
Sep '17	154.49
Aug '17	153.58
Jul '17	154.47
Jun '17	154.09
May '17	153.41
Apr '17	153.26
Mar '17	152.63
Feb '17	151.59
Jan '17	150.53
Dec '16	151.8
Nov '16	152.39
Oct '16	152.34
Sep '16	151.98
Aug '16	151.8
July '16	152.44
June '16	151.99
May '16	151.59
Apr '16	151.08
Mar '16	150.74
Feb '16	150.06
Jan '16	149.04
Dec '15	149.7
Nov '15	149.77
Oct '15	149.72
Sep '15	148.98
Aug '15	149.23
July '15	149.72
Jun '15	149.65
May '15	149.35
Apr' 15	148.59
Mar '15	147.63
Feb '15	147.12
Jan '15	146.55
Dec '14	147.19
Nov '14	147.67
Oct '14	147.94
Sep '14	146.94
Aug '14	146.65
Jul '14	147.27
Jun '14	147.1
May '14	146.4
Apr '14	145.77
Mar '14	145.09
Feb '14	144.13
Jan '14	143.53
Dec '13	144.42
Nov '13	144.78
Oct '13	144.14
Sep '13	144.65
Aug '13	144.51
Jul '13	145.11
Jun '13	144.8
May '13	144.43
Apr '13	143.72
Mar '13	142.69
Feb '13	142.23
Jan '13	141.61
Dec '12	143.06
Nov '12	143.55
Oct '12	144.04
Sep '12	143.33
Aug '12	142.56
Jul '12	143.13
Jun '12	143.2
May '12	142.73
Apr '12	141.99
Mar '12	141.41
Feb '12	140.68
Jan '12	139.94
Dec '11	140.68
Nov '11	141.07
Oct '11	140.99
Sep '11	140.5
Aug '11	140.34
Jul '11	140.38
Jun '11	140.13
May '11	140.03
Apr '11	139.66
Mar '11	138.96
Feb '11	138.09
Jan '11	137.6