4.3%
2026 (thru Jul) (latest)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
percent, annual average · 1948–2026 · lower is better · FRED UNRATE
3.8%
1948
9.7%
high · 1982
2.9%
low · 1953
+0.5 pts
since 1948
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. BLS U-3 unemployment rate, annual average of monthly figures.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Long-Run-Indicators
Data
| Year | Unemployment Rate | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.3% | +0.0 pts |
| 2025 | 4.3% | +0.3 pts |
| 2024 | 4.0% | +0.4 pts |
| 2023 | 3.6% | −0.1 pts |
| 2022 | 3.7% | −1.7 pts |
| 2021 | 5.4% | −2.7 pts |
| 2020 | 8.1% | +4.4 pts |
| 2019 | 3.7% | −0.2 pts |
| 2018 | 3.9% | −0.5 pts |
| 2017 | 4.4% | −0.5 pts |
| 2016 | 4.9% | −0.4 pts |
| 2015 | 5.3% | −0.9 pts |
| 2014 | 6.2% | −1.2 pts |
| 2013 | 7.4% | −0.7 pts |
| 2012 | 8.1% | −0.8 pts |
| 2011 | 8.9% | −0.7 pts |
| 2010 | 9.6% | +0.3 pts |
| 2009 | 9.3% | +3.5 pts |
| 2008 | 5.8% | +1.2 pts |
| 2007 | 4.6% | +0.0 pts |
| 2006 | 4.6% | −0.5 pts |
| 2005 | 5.1% | −0.4 pts |
| 2004 | 5.5% | −0.5 pts |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +0.2 pts |
| 2002 | 5.8% | +1.1 pts |
| 2001 | 4.7% | +0.7 pts |
| 2000 | 4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| 1999 | 4.2% | −0.3 pts |
| 1998 | 4.5% | −0.4 pts |
| 1997 | 4.9% | −0.5 pts |
| 1996 | 5.4% | −0.2 pts |
| 1995 | 5.6% | −0.5 pts |
| 1994 | 6.1% | −0.8 pts |
| 1993 | 6.9% | −0.6 pts |
| 1992 | 7.5% | +0.7 pts |
| 1991 | 6.8% | +1.2 pts |
| 1990 | 5.6% | +0.3 pts |
| 1989 | 5.3% | −0.2 pts |
| 1988 | 5.5% | −0.7 pts |
| 1987 | 6.2% | −0.8 pts |
| 1986 | 7.0% | −0.2 pts |
| 1985 | 7.2% | −0.3 pts |
| 1984 | 7.5% | −2.1 pts |
| 1983 | 9.6% | −0.1 pts |
| 1982 | 9.7% | +2.1 pts |
| 1981 | 7.6% | +0.4 pts |
| 1980 | 7.2% | +1.3 pts |
| 1979 | 5.9% | −0.2 pts |
| 1978 | 6.1% | −1.0 pts |
| 1977 | 7.1% | −0.6 pts |
| 1976 | 7.7% | −0.8 pts |
| 1975 | 8.5% | +2.9 pts |
| 1974 | 5.6% | +0.7 pts |
| 1973 | 4.9% | −0.7 pts |
| 1972 | 5.6% | −0.4 pts |
| 1971 | 6.0% | +1.0 pts |
| 1970 | 5.0% | +1.5 pts |
| 1969 | 3.5% | −0.1 pts |
| 1968 | 3.6% | −0.2 pts |
| 1967 | 3.8% | +0.0 pts |
| 1966 | 3.8% | −0.7 pts |
| 1965 | 4.5% | −0.7 pts |
| 1964 | 5.2% | −0.4 pts |
| 1963 | 5.6% | +0.0 pts |
| 1962 | 5.6% | −1.1 pts |
| 1961 | 6.7% | +1.2 pts |
| 1960 | 5.5% | +0.0 pts |
| 1959 | 5.5% | −1.3 pts |
| 1958 | 6.8% | +2.5 pts |
| 1957 | 4.3% | +0.2 pts |
| 1956 | 4.1% | −0.3 pts |
| 1955 | 4.4% | −1.2 pts |
| 1954 | 5.6% | +2.7 pts |
| 1953 | 2.9% | −0.1 pts |
| 1952 | 3.0% | −0.3 pts |
| 1951 | 3.3% | −1.9 pts |
| 1950 | 5.2% | −0.8 pts |
| 1949 | 6.0% | +2.2 pts |
| 1948 | 3.8% | — |
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