OBJECTIVES: To examine quality of life, work productivity, and health care resource use among employed adults ages 40 to 64 years with COPD. METHODS: Data were obtained from the US 2009 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), an internet-based questionnaire.  All employed adults (full-time, part-time, or self-employed) ages 40-64 years with or without a self-reported diagnosis of COPD were included. Impact on quality of life (using the mental (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) scores and health utilities from SF-12v2), work productivity and activity impairment (using WPAI questionnaire), and resource use were analyzed.  Multiple regression analyses for normally-distributed outcomes and negative binomial regressions for skewed outcomes were conducted. All models adjusted for demographic and patient characteristics and were weighted to project to the US population. RESULTS: There were 1,112 workers with COPD (mean age = 51.5 years) versus 18,912 workers without COPD (mean age = 50.0 years). After adjusting for demographic and patient characteristics, adults with COPD reported significantly lower mean levels of MCS (46.8 vs. 48.5, p<0.0001), PCS (45.6 vs. 49.2, p<0.0001), and health utilities (0.71 vs. 0.75, p<0.0001), than adults without COPD.  Workers with COPD reported significantly greater impairment while at work (presenteeism) (18.9% vs. 14.3%, p<0.0001), overall work impairment (a combination of absenteeism and presenteeism) (20.5% vs. 16.3%, p<0.0001), and impairment in daily activities (23.5% vs. 17.9%, p<0.0001) than adults without COPD.  Employed adults with COPD also reported more mean ER visits (0.21 vs. 0.12, p<0.0001) and more mean hospitalizations (0.10 vs. 0.06, p<0.0001) in the previous six months than employed adults without COPD. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for various demographic and patient characteristics, employed adults with COPD reported significantly worse quality of life, work productivity, and health care resource utilization than employed adults without COPD.  These results highlight the substantial impact and burden of COPD in the US workforce.