United States Employment Sector Statistics (2024)
Workforce distribution by employment sector for the United States
Employment Indicators for the United States (2024)
Total Employed
161,297,155
Civilian 16+
Private For-Profit
70.4 %
Largest Sector
Self-Employed
6.0%
Entrepreneurship
Government
14.5%
Public Sector
United States Workforce by Sector & Gender
United States Employment Sector Breakdown
| Sector | Total Workers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Private For-Profit | 113,627,804 | 70.4% |
| Government | 23,455,993 | 14.5% |
| Self-Employed | 9,642,196 | 6.0% |
| Private Non-Profit | 14,269,472 | 8.8% |
United States Gender Ratio Analysis by Employment Sector (2024)
| Sector | Male:Female Ratio |
|---|---|
| Private For-Profit | 1.28:1 |
| Government | 0.76:1 |
| Self-Employed | 1.42:1 |
United States Employment Trends (2010–2024)
United States Historical Employment Sector Trends
| Year | Private | Gov | Self-Emp | Non-Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 70.4% | 14.5% | 6.0% | 8.8% |
| 2023 | 70.7% | 14.4% | 6.0% | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 71.2% | 14.2% | 5.9% | 8.5% |
| 2021 | 71.4% | 14.1% | 5.9% | 8.4% |
| 2020 | 71.7% | 13.9% | 5.9% | 8.3% |
| 2019 | 72.1% | 13.7% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| 2018 | 72.1% | 13.7% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2017 | 72.0% | 13.8% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2016 | 71.7% | 14.0% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2015 | 71.4% | 14.3% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2014 | 71.0% | 14.6% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2013 | 70.7% | 14.9% | 6.2% | 8.1% |
| 2012 | 70.6% | 14.9% | 6.3% | 8.0% |
| 2011 | 70.6% | 14.9% | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| 2010 | 70.8% | 14.8% | 6.5% | 7.7% |
Employment Sector FAQs for United States
The largest employment sector in the United States is Private For-Profit, which employs 70.4% of the local workforce.
There are approximately 161,297,155 civilian workers aged 16 and over currently employed in the United States.
In the private for-profit sector, the male-to-female ratio is 1.28:1. This metric helps highlight gender participation across the most prominent industry classes.
Since 2010, the total number of workers in the United States has shown an increase, moving from 141,833,331 to 161,297,155 according to Census Bureau records.