Composition of U.S. workforce by race/ethnicity, 1979 and 2017
| Race and ethnicity | White | Black | Hispanic | Asian American/Pacific Islander (2017 only) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 83.71% | 9.4% | 4.75% | – | 2.15% |
| 2017 | 63.37 | 11.9 | 16.88 | 6.72 | 1.13 |
Notes: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are included in the “Other” race category in 1979 (the CPS survey did not have a separate “Asian American/Pacific Islander” category until 1989). Race/ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (i.e., white non-Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander non-Hispanic, and Hispanic any race).
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata