Labor Force Participation under Ronald Reagan
Labor Force Participation went from 63.9% in Ronald Reagan's first month to 64.6% at month 48: a change of +0.7 pts. At that point in office it ranks #4 of 9 administrations since 1969. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
All administrations at month 48
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 48 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bill Clinton | 67.0% | +0.8 pts | 67.0% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #2 | George H. W. Bush | 66.3% | −0.2 pts | 66.3% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #3 | George W. Bush | 65.9% | −1.3 pts | 65.9% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #4 | Ronald Reagan | 64.6% | +0.7 pts | 64.6% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #5 | Barack Obama | 63.7% | −2.0 pts | 63.7% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #6 | Jimmy Carter | 63.6% | +2.0 pts | 63.6% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #7 | Joe Biden | 62.5% | +1.1 pts | 62.5% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #8 | Donald Trump (first term) | 61.5% | −1.3 pts | 61.5% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
| #9 | Richard Nixon | 60.5% | +0.9 pts | 60.5% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CIVPART |
Methodology and source verification
Share of the civilian population 16 and over that is working or looking for work (BLS, monthly).
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series CIVPART, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-10-02. Full methods: methodology.