The U.S. Census Bureau collects data that measures the state of the nation's workforce, including employment and unemployment levels, as well as weeks and hours worked.

Data collection includes occupation, industry, and class of worker (e.g., self-employed, working for a private firm, or working for a government agency) in the American labor force. In addition, the Census Bureau captures data on commuting behavior and estimates of home-based work. We produce these statistics by age, race, sex, household composition, and a variety of other demographic factors. Employment statistics are also available at various geographic levels.

The ability to link information about employment statistics to socio-demographic characteristics and geography allows planners and policymakers to identify impacts of policy changes on the public, forecast demand on infrastructure, address unmet needs, plan for emergencies, and guide decisions about how to allocate limited public resources.

Our statistics about employment in America come from a variety of data sources, including the American Community Survey (ACS), the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Survey of Income Program and Participation (SIPP), the Survey of Business Owners (SBO), and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. See our Census Survey Explorer for additional information on the topic. To access employment data, go to data.census.gov.