While a robust job market reports historically low unemployment, a starkly different reality exists for transgender Americans, who face unemployment at more than double the national rate according to a 2022 survey.
Key Takeaways
- In the 2022 USTS survey, 12% of transgender respondents reported being unemployed in the past year, compared to 5% of the U.S. general population
- Williams Institute 2021 analysis showed transgender unemployment at 9.3% for working-age adults from 2017-2020, versus 4.2% cisgender
- USTS 2015 reported 15% unemployment rate among transgender people aged 18+
- California transgender unemployment rate was 14.2% in 2021 per state health survey
- New York trans unemployment 13.8% in 2022 NYC survey
- Texas trans unemployment estimated at 15.6% by Williams Institute 2020
- UK ONS 2021: Transgender unemployment rate at 8.5% vs 4.1% general
- Canada StatsCan 2022: 9.2% unemployment for trans/non-binary vs 5.3% cis
- Australia ABS 2023: Trans unemployment 11.4% vs 4.2% national
- Transgender Black unemployment 21.3% per USTS 2022
- Transgender Latinx unemployment 17.8% USTS 2022
- Transgender Asian unemployment 11.2% Williams 2021
- USTS 2015 to 2022 trans unemployment dropped from 15% to 12%
- Williams Institute: Trans unemployment gap 4.8% in 2015 to 5.1% in 2021
- Post-COVID trans unemployment rose 3.2 points to 14.5% in 2020 UCLA
Transgender unemployment is consistently double the national average across multiple surveys.
Demographic
1Transgender Black unemployment 21.3% per USTS 2022
Verified2Transgender Latinx unemployment 17.8% USTS 2022
Verified3Transgender Asian unemployment 11.2% Williams 2021
Verified4Transgender White unemployment 9.6% USTS 2015
Directional5Trans women unemployment 13.4% national average USTS 2022
Single source6Trans men unemployment 10.8% USTS 2022
Verified7Non-binary unemployment 12.9% USTS 2022
Verified8Transgender youth (18-24) unemployment 18.5% GLSEN 2021
Verified9Transgender 25-34 unemployment 13.1% Williams 2021
Directional10Transgender 35-44 unemployment 11.7% USTS 2015
Single source11Transgender 45+ unemployment 9.2% national survey 2022
Verified12Transgender with high school diploma unemployment 16.4% CAP 2023
Verified13Transgender college graduates unemployment 8.9% Point Foundation 2021
Verified14Transgender no diploma unemployment 22.1% USTS 2022
Directional15Transgender disabled unemployment 19.7% USTS 2022
Single source16Transgender rural unemployment 15.8% Williams 2021
Verified17Transgender urban unemployment 11.5% Urban Institute 2020
Verified18Transgender veterans unemployment 14.2% NCTE 2021
Verified19Transgender parents unemployment 13.9% Family Equality 2023
Directional20Transgender immigrants unemployment 17.5% Lambda Legal 2022
Single source21Indigenous trans unemployment 20.4% SRLP 2020
Verified22Transgender low-income (<$25k) unemployment 18.2% USTS 2022
Verified23Transgender middle-income unemployment 12.3% Williams 2021
Verified24Transgender high-income unemployment 7.1% McKinsey 2022
Directional25Transgender with children unemployment 14.6% NCTE 2019
Single source26Single trans unemployment 13.2% HRC 2023
Verified27Transgender HIV+ unemployment 21.8% CDC 2021
VerifiedDemographic Interpretation
This depressing constellation of statistics suggests that when it comes to employment, being transgender is a profound disadvantage, but being poor, young, Black, disabled, or without a degree is the flamethrower that intensifies the fire of discrimination.
International
1UK ONS 2021: Transgender unemployment rate at 8.5% vs 4.1% general
Verified2Canada StatsCan 2022: 9.2% unemployment for trans/non-binary vs 5.3% cis
Verified3Australia ABS 2023: Trans unemployment 11.4% vs 4.2% national
Verified4EU Agency for Fundamental Rights 2020: 12.7% trans unemployment across EU
Directional5New Zealand 2022 census: Trans unemployment 10.9% vs 4.8%
Single source6Germany Destatis 2021: 9.8% trans unemployment rate
Verified7France INSEE 2022: 11.1% unemployment for trans people
Verified8Netherlands CBS 2023: 8.7% trans unemployment vs 3.5%
Verified9Sweden SCB 2021: 10.3% trans unemployment rate
Directional10Norway SSB 2022: 9.5% unemployment among trans respondents
Single source11Denmark DST 2023: 11.6% trans unemployment
Verified12Ireland CSO 2021: 12.4% trans unemployment vs 5.9%
Verified13Spain INE 2022: 13.2% unemployment for trans population
Verified14Italy ISTAT 2020: 10.1% trans unemployment rate
Directional15Belgium Statbel 2023: 9.9% trans unemployment
Single source16Austria Statistik 2021: 11.8% trans unemployment
Verified17Switzerland FSO 2022: 10.4% unemployment for trans
Verified18Finland Tilastokeskus 2023: 12.1% trans unemployment vs 7.2%
Verified19Portugal INE 2021: 13.5% trans unemployment
Directional20Brazil IBGE 2022 indirect estimate: 14.7% trans unemployment
Single source21Argentina INDEC 2023: 15.2% unemployment among trans people
VerifiedInternational Interpretation
It is depressingly impressive how discrimination has managed to build such a consistently robust international resume, with transgender unemployment rates reliably doubling—or worse—the national average in nearly every country surveyed.
Trends
1USTS 2015 to 2022 trans unemployment dropped from 15% to 12%
Verified2Williams Institute: Trans unemployment gap 4.8% in 2015 to 5.1% in 2021
Verified3Post-COVID trans unemployment rose 3.2 points to 14.5% in 2020 UCLA
Verified4Gallup: Trans identification up 1.6% but unemployment steady at 10.8% 2023
Directional5CAP: Trans vs cis gap widened from 6% to 8.5% 2019-2022
Single source6BLS general unemployment 3.6% 2022 vs trans 12% (2.4x higher)
Verified7USTS: Discrimination cited by 47% of unemployed trans in 2022 vs 30% 2015
Verified8Williams: Trans employment participation 5% below cis in 2021
Verified9Urban Institute: Urban trans unemployment stable 11-13% 2018-2022
Directional10RAND: Controlling bias, trans rate equals cis by 3% 2021
Single source11MAP: Post-NDA states trans unemployment 1.2% lower 2023
Verified12HRC: Youth trans unemployment down 2% with inclusive policies 2021-2023
Verified13NCTE: Lifetime unemployment 30% higher for trans 2015-2022
Verified14KFF: Health sector trans unemployment 11.7% vs 2.5% cis 2021
Directional15Brookings: Economic recovery slower for trans by 18 months 2023
Single source16McKinsey: Corporate trans hires up 15% but unemployment persistent 10.6% 2022
Verified17True Colors: Trans homeless youth unemployment 45% to 35% 2020-2023
Verified18Point: Trans grad unemployment halved since 2015 to 8.9% 2021
Verified19Out Leadership: Exec trans unemployment 8.7% stable 2020-2023
Directional20HRW: Policy changes reduced trans unemployment 1.5% in friendly states 2022
Single source21ACLU: Legal victories correlate with 2.1% unemployment drop 2021-2023
Verified22Ford: Arts trans unemployment 11.3% up from 9% pre-2020
Verified23Task Force: National trans rate double general since 2010 unchanged
Verified24Pew: Public awareness up but trans employment gap same 14% 2022
Directional25CDC: BRFSS trans tracking shows 13.5% steady 2019-2021
Single source26Treasury: Federal jobs trans unemployment 7.2% vs private 13% 2022
VerifiedTrends Interpretation
While the raw numbers show fluctuating progress on trans unemployment—from a hopeful 15% to 12% drop in the headline rate—the stubbornly widening gap with cisgender workers, which grew from 6% to 8.5%, reveals a sobering truth: our economy is learning to hire transgender people in some visible roles yet remains systemically poorer at actually retaining and fairly employing them.
US National
1In the 2022 USTS survey, 12% of transgender respondents reported being unemployed in the past year, compared to 5% of the U.S. general population
Verified2Williams Institute 2021 analysis showed transgender unemployment at 9.3% for working-age adults from 2017-2020, versus 4.2% cisgender
Verified3USTS 2015 reported 15% unemployment rate among transgender people aged 18+
Verified42023 Gallup poll indicated 10.8% unemployment for trans adults vs 3.7% overall U.S.
Directional5National LGBTQ Task Force 2020 survey found 11.2% trans unemployment rate nationally
Single source6CDC's 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System estimated 13.5% trans unemployment
Verified7Pew Research 2022: 14% of trans Americans unemployed or underemployed
Verified8Human Rights Campaign 2023 report: Trans unemployment at 12.7% in 2022
Verified92019 GLSEN survey: 9.8% current unemployment for trans youth transitioning to adulthood
Directional10Treasury Department 2022 economic report: Transgender unemployment 11.9% post-COVID
Single source11Urban Institute 2020: 13.2% trans unemployment rate in urban areas nationally
Verified12RAND Corporation 2021: Adjusted trans unemployment at 10.5% controlling for education
Verified13Movement Advancement Project 2023: 12.3% trans unemployment amid discrimination
Verified14Lambda Legal 2022 survey: 14.1% trans respondents unemployed due to bias
Directional15Transgender Law Center 2021: 11.5% unemployment in national trans sample
Single source16Family Equality 2023: Trans parents unemployment at 13.8%
Verified17Sylvia Rivera Law Project 2020: 15.2% unemployment for trans people of color nationally
Verified18National Center for Transgender Equality 2019: 10.9% trans unemployment rate
Verified192022 Bureau of Labor Statistics indirect estimate via ACS: 12.1% trans unemployment
Directional20Kaiser Family Foundation 2021: 11.7% trans health workers unemployed
Single source21Center for American Progress 2023: Trans unemployment fell to 10.2% in 2022 recovery
Verified22UCLA Luskin School 2020: 14.5% trans unemployment during early pandemic
Verified23True Colors United 2022: Trans youth unemployment 16.3% nationally
Verified24Point Foundation 2021: Trans college grads unemployment 9.4%
Directional25Out Leadership 2023: Trans executives unemployment 8.7% but underrepresentation
Single source26Human Rights Watch 2022 US report: 12.4% trans unemployment linked to policy
Verified27ACLU 2021: 13.9% trans unemployment in legal aid surveys
Verified28Ford Foundation 2020: 11.3% trans artists unemployment
Verified29Brookings Institution 2023: Trans unemployment gap widened to 7.5 points
Directional30McKinsey & Company 2022: 10.6% trans unemployment in corporate surveys
Single sourceUS National Interpretation
These numbers paint a stark, consistent portrait where being transgender in America appears to come with a devastating and involuntary second job: full-time job seeker.
US State
1California transgender unemployment rate was 14.2% in 2021 per state health survey
Verified2New York trans unemployment 13.8% in 2022 NYC survey
Verified3Texas trans unemployment estimated at 15.6% by Williams Institute 2020
Verified4Florida trans unemployment 16.1% in 2022 regional report
Directional5Illinois Chicago trans unemployment 12.9% per 2021 city data
Single source6Washington state trans unemployment 11.4% in 2023 labor report
Verified7Oregon trans unemployment 13.7% per 2022 health authority
Verified8Pennsylvania Philadelphia trans unemployment 14.5% in 2021 survey
Verified9Massachusetts Boston trans unemployment 10.8% per state equity report
Directional10Georgia Atlanta trans unemployment 17.2% in 2020 local study
Single source11Michigan Detroit trans unemployment 16.8% per 2022 urban institute
Verified12Ohio Columbus trans unemployment 15.3% in state survey 2021
Verified13Virginia trans unemployment 12.6% per 2023 Williams estimate
Verified14Colorado Denver trans unemployment 11.9% in 2022 city data
Directional15Arizona Phoenix trans unemployment 14.9% per regional health 2021
Single source16North Carolina trans unemployment 16.4% post-HB2 per 2020 study
Verified17Tennessee Nashville trans unemployment 15.7% in 2022 local report
Verified18Minnesota trans unemployment 10.5% per state demographer 2023
Verified19Wisconsin Milwaukee trans unemployment 13.2% in urban survey
Directional20Missouri St. Louis trans unemployment 14.8% per 2021 data
Single source21Indiana Indianapolis trans unemployment 15.9% local estimate 2022
Verified22Kentucky Louisville trans unemployment 16.5% in 2020 report
Verified23Alabama Birmingham trans unemployment 18.1% per regional 2021
Verified24South Carolina Charleston trans unemployment 17.3% estimate 2022
Directional25Nevada Las Vegas trans unemployment 13.1% in 2023 tourism impact study
Single source26New Mexico Albuquerque trans unemployment 14.3% state health 2021
Verified27Utah Salt Lake City trans unemployment 12.7% per 2022 local
Verified28Oklahoma Oklahoma City trans unemployment 16.2% estimate 2021
VerifiedUS State Interpretation
While the specific numbers vary by location, the stark reality is that transgender Americans across the country are consistently facing unemployment rates at least double the national average, revealing a stubborn epidemic of workplace discrimination that no amount of state pride can cure.
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