Working Families in 2025: What the BLS Data Shows
In April 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published its annual Employment Characteristics of Families — 2025 report.
BLS reported that the United States had 85.9 million families in 2025. Of those families, 79.8% had at least one employed member, while 5.7% included at least one unemployed person.
The data comes from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of about 60,000 households.
Here are some of the key findings in plain English.
How many families had someone employed?
BLS reported that 79.8% of U.S. families had at least one employed family member in 2025.
Among married-couple families, 79.1% had at least one employed member.
BLS also reported that:
49.1% of married-couple families had both spouses employed
23.4% had only one spouse employed
How many families included an unemployed person?
In 2025, 4.9 million families had at least one unemployed family member.
That represented 5.7% of all families, according to BLS.
Among families that included an unemployed person, 71.8% also had at least one family member who was employed.
BLS reported that 63.2% of families with an unemployed member also had at least one family member working full time.
What did BLS report about families with children?
BLS reported that 32.9 million families had children under age 18 in 2025.
Among families with children, 91.6% had at least one employed parent.
For married-couple families with children:
97.4% had at least one employed parent
66.3% had both parents employed
For this report, BLS counts biological, step-, and adopted children under age 18 who live in the household.
What did BLS report about mothers and fathers?
The labor force participation rate for mothers with children under age 18 was 73.9% in 2025.
For fathers with children under age 18, the rate was 93.7%.
BLS defines the labor force participation rate as the percentage of the population that is either working or looking for work.
Among mothers, participation also varied by the age of their children. BLS reported a rate of:
68.0% for mothers with children under age 6
78.2% for mothers whose youngest child was ages 6 to 17
How does BLS define a family?
For this report, BLS defines a family as two or more people living together who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.
Families include those with and without children under age 18.
BLS separately categorizes married-couple families and families maintained by women or men without a spouse present.
An important note about the 2025 data
The October 2025 Current Population Survey was not collected because of the federal government shutdown.
As a result, BLS calculated the 2025 annual estimates using 11-month averages that exclude October.
BLS specifically cautions that the 2025 annual estimates are therefore not strictly comparable with annual averages for other years.
What does the data show?
The BLS report provides a national picture of employment and unemployment within U.S. families in 2025.
Among the figures reported:
85.9 million families in the United States
79.8% with at least one employed member
5.7% with at least one unemployed member
32.9 million families with children under age 18
91.6% of families with children having at least one employed parent
These figures describe family employment characteristics collected through the Current Population Survey.
From Family Employment Data to Career Opportunity
BLS reports how employment and unemployment appear across U.S. families and households.
Diversity.com helps job seekers explore employment opportunities across industries and career levels and helps employers connect with candidates from a broad range of backgrounds.
Get Started with Diversity.com
At Diversity.com, we connect employers with qualified candidates through inclusive hiring, and help job seekers find employers committed to it.
For Employers & HR Professionals:
✔ Post a job and reach candidates across healthcare, higher education, government, nonprofits, and private industry
✔ Browse our resources for guides, checklists, and reports on inclusive hiring
✔ Join our community in LinkedIn for hiring and compliance updates
For Job Seekers:
✔ Find Inclusive Jobs at organizations that chose to post here
✔ Create a free account to apply and get matched to new openings
✔ Browse our resources for career guides and tools
Have questions? Reach out to our team. We're here to support you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many U.S. families had someone employed in 2025?
BLS reported that 79.8% of the nation’s 85.9 million families had at least one employed member.
How many families included an unemployed person?
BLS reported that 4.9 million families, or 5.7% of all families, included an unemployed person.
What percentage of families with children had an employed parent?
BLS reported that 91.6% of families with children under age 18 had at least one employed parent.
Are the 2025 figures directly comparable with earlier years?
Not strictly.
BLS says the 2025 annual estimates use 11-month averages because October CPS data were not collected during the federal government shutdown.
Related Articles
Black History Month 2026: What Census Data Showed About Population, Education and Work
Women’s History Month 2026: What Census Data Showed About Women and Work
Foreign-Born Workers in the U.S.: What the 2025 BLS Data Shows
Sources & References
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026, April 23). Employment characteristics of families — 2025. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/famee_04232026.htm
