# A question about employment statistics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-employment-statistics/298476>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-employment-statistics/298476 "2005-04-08T21:25:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-employment-statistics/298476/1 "2005-04-08T21:25:09Z")

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I know the US government considers you employed if you work part time. But is there a minimum amount of hours to be considered employed? If I had job that just required 1 hour a week, am I employed for employment statistics purposes?

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-employment-statistics/298476/2 "2005-04-08T23:39:39Z")

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Yes. Sometimes, you’re even employed when you work zero hours. As the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm#Ques4) explains:

> [@](#):
>
> **Who is counted as employed?**  
> Not all of the wide range of job situations in the American economy fit neatly into a given category. For example, people are considered employed if they did any work at all for pay or profit during the survey week. This includes all part-time and temporary work, as well as regular full-time year-round employment. Persons also are counted as employed if they have a job at which they did not work during the survey week because they were:
> 
> On vacation;
> 
> Ill;
> 
> Experiencing child-care problems;
> 
> Taking care of some other family or personal obligation;
> 
> On maternity or paternity leave;
> 
> Involved in an industrial dispute; or
> 
> Prevented from working by bad weather.

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-employment-statistics/298476/3 "2005-04-08T23:58:50Z")

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So no matter how little you work, be it seconds, minutes or hours per week.

You have a job.

Answers a lot of my questions.

Thanks.