American Indian & Alaska Native Populations: A Statistical Portrait: Jobs, Income & Poverty

In 2012, 59.4% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population age 16 or older was in the labor force.

[SOURCE: American FactFinder 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates]

American Indian and Alaska Native population in 2012:

• 49.6% were employed
• 9.4% were unemployed
• 0.5% were in the Armed Forces

[SOURCE: American FactFinder 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates]

As of 2012, the poverty rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives was 29.1%. This is higher than the 2011 poverty rates for non-Hispanic Whites (9.8%), Asians (12.3%), and Hispanics (25.3%), but not greatly different from the rates for Blacks (27.6%).

[SOURCE: American FactFinder 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates and Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011]

American Indians and Alaska Natives had a median household income of $35,310 in 2012. This is higher than the 2011 median household income for Blacks ($32,229), but lower than for Hispanics (any race) ($38,624) and non-Hispanic Whites ($55,412), and about half of the median household income for Asians ($$65,129).

[SOURCE: American FactFinder 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates and Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011]