Unemployment Rate (in Table Form)
The unemployment rate has been tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics since 1948. This is also known as the Seasonally Adjusted U-3 Unemployment Rate.
See how the Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate compares to the Unadjusted Rate.
This table shows Seasonally Adjusted Monthly Unemployment Rates from 1948 through the present:
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2013 | 7.90% | 7.70% | 7.60% | 7.50% | ||||||||
| 2012 | 8.30% | 8.30% | 8.20% | 8.10% | 8.20% | 8.20% | 8.30% | 8.10% | 7.80% | 7.90% | 7.80% | 7.80% |
| 2011 | 9.10% | 9.00% | 8.90% | 9.00% | 9.00% | 9.10% | 9.10% | 9.10% | 9.00% | 8.90% | 8.70% | 8.50% |
| 2010 | 9.70% | 9.70% | 9.70% | 9.80% | 9.60% | 9.50% | 9.50% | 9.60% | 9.60% | 9.70% | 9.80% | 9.40% |
| 2009 | 7.80% | 8.20% | 8.60% | 8.90% | 9.40% | 9.50% | 9.50% | 9.70% | 9.80% | 10.10% | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| 2008 | 5.00% | 4.80% | 5.10% | 4.90% | 5.40% | 5.60% | 5.80% | 6.10% | 6.20% | 6.60% | 6.80% | 7.30% |
| 2007 | 4.60% | 4.50% | 4.40% | 4.50% | 4.40% | 4.60% | 4.70% | 4.60% | 4.70% | 4.70% | 4.70% | 5.00% |
| 2006 | 4.70% | 4.80% | 4.70% | 4.70% | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.70% | 4.70% | 4.50% | 4.40% | 4.50% | 4.40% |
| 2005 | 5.30% | 5.40% | 5.20% | 5.20% | 5.10% | 5.00% | 5.00% | 4.90% | 5.00% | 5.00% | 5.00% | 4.90% |
| 2004 | 5.70% | 5.60% | 5.80% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.50% | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.50% | 5.40% | 5.40% |
| 2003 | 5.80% | 5.90% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 6.10% | 6.30% | 6.20% | 6.10% | 6.10% | 6.00% | 5.80% | 5.70% |
| 2002 | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.90% | 5.80% | 5.80% | 5.80% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.90% | 6.00% |
| 2001 | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.30% | 4.40% | 4.30% | 4.50% | 4.60% | 4.90% | 5.00% | 5.30% | 5.50% | 5.70% |
| 2000 | 4.00% | 4.10% | 4.00% | 3.80% | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.10% | 3.90% | 3.90% | 3.90% | 3.90% |
| 1999 | 4.30% | 4.40% | 4.20% | 4.30% | 4.20% | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.10% | 4.10% | 4.00% |
| 1998 | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.70% | 4.30% | 4.40% | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.60% | 4.50% | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| 1997 | 5.30% | 5.20% | 5.20% | 5.10% | 4.90% | 5.00% | 4.90% | 4.80% | 4.90% | 4.70% | 4.60% | 4.70% |
| 1996 | 5.60% | 5.50% | 5.50% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.30% | 5.50% | 5.10% | 5.20% | 5.20% | 5.40% | 5.40% |
| 1995 | 5.60% | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.80% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.60% | 5.50% | 5.60% | 5.60% |
| 1994 | 6.60% | 6.60% | 6.50% | 6.40% | 6.10% | 6.10% | 6.10% | 6.00% | 5.90% | 5.80% | 5.60% | 5.50% |
| 1993 | 7.30% | 7.10% | 7.00% | 7.10% | 7.10% | 7.00% | 6.90% | 6.80% | 6.70% | 6.80% | 6.60% | 6.50% |
| 1992 | 7.30% | 7.40% | 7.40% | 7.40% | 7.60% | 7.80% | 7.70% | 7.60% | 7.60% | 7.30% | 7.40% | 7.40% |
| 1991 | 6.40% | 6.60% | 6.80% | 6.70% | 6.90% | 6.90% | 6.80% | 6.90% | 6.90% | 7.00% | 7.00% | 7.30% |
| 1990 | 5.40% | 5.30% | 5.20% | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.20% | 5.50% | 5.70% | 5.90% | 5.90% | 6.20% | 6.30% |
| 1989 | 5.40% | 5.20% | 5.00% | 5.20% | 5.20% | 5.30% | 5.20% | 5.20% | 5.30% | 5.30% | 5.40% | 5.40% |
| 1988 | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.40% | 5.60% | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.60% | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.30% | 5.30% |
| 1987 | 6.60% | 6.60% | 6.60% | 6.30% | 6.30% | 6.20% | 6.10% | 6.00% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 5.80% | 5.70% |
| 1986 | 6.70% | 7.20% | 7.20% | 7.10% | 7.20% | 7.20% | 7.00% | 6.90% | 7.00% | 7.00% | 6.90% | 6.60% |
| 1985 | 7.30% | 7.20% | 7.20% | 7.30% | 7.20% | 7.40% | 7.40% | 7.10% | 7.10% | 7.10% | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| 1984 | 8.00% | 7.80% | 7.80% | 7.70% | 7.40% | 7.20% | 7.50% | 7.50% | 7.30% | 7.40% | 7.20% | 7.30% |
| 1983 | 10.40% | 10.40% | 10.30% | 10.20% | 10.10% | 10.10% | 9.40% | 9.50% | 9.20% | 8.80% | 8.50% | 8.30% |
| 1982 | 8.60% | 8.90% | 9.00% | 9.30% | 9.40% | 9.60% | 9.80% | 9.80% | 10.10% | 10.40% | 10.80% | 10.80% |
| 1981 | 7.50% | 7.40% | 7.40% | 7.20% | 7.50% | 7.50% | 7.20% | 7.40% | 7.60% | 7.90% | 8.30% | 8.50% |
| 1980 | 6.30% | 6.30% | 6.30% | 6.90% | 7.50% | 7.60% | 7.80% | 7.70% | 7.50% | 7.50% | 7.50% | 7.20% |
| 1979 | 5.90% | 5.90% | 5.80% | 5.80% | 5.60% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 6.00% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 5.90% | 6.00% |
| 1978 | 6.40% | 6.30% | 6.30% | 6.10% | 6.00% | 5.90% | 6.20% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 5.80% | 5.90% | 6.00% |
| 1977 | 7.50% | 7.60% | 7.40% | 7.20% | 7.00% | 7.20% | 6.90% | 7.00% | 6.80% | 6.80% | 6.80% | 6.40% |
| 1976 | 7.90% | 7.70% | 7.60% | 7.70% | 7.40% | 7.60% | 7.80% | 7.80% | 7.60% | 7.70% | 7.80% | 7.80% |
| 1975 | 8.10% | 8.10% | 8.60% | 8.80% | 9.00% | 8.80% | 8.60% | 8.40% | 8.40% | 8.40% | 8.30% | 8.20% |
| 1974 | 5.10% | 5.20% | 5.10% | 5.10% | 5.10% | 5.40% | 5.50% | 5.50% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 6.60% | 7.20% |
| 1973 | 4.90% | 5% | 4.90% | 5.00% | 4.90% | 4.90% | 4.80% | 4.80% | 4.80% | 4.60% | 4.80% | 4.90% |
| 1972 | 5.80% | 5.70% | 5.80% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.50% | 5.60% | 5.30% | 5.20% |
| 1971 | 5.90% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 5.90% | 5.90% | 5.90% | 6.00% | 6.10% | 6.00% | 5.80% | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| 1970 | 3.90% | 4.20% | 4.40% | 4.60% | 4.80% | 4.90% | 5.00% | 5.10% | 5.40% | 5.50% | 5.90% | 6.10% |
| 1969 | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.70% | 3.70% | 3.50% | 3.50% |
| 1968 | 3.70% | 3.80% | 3.70% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.70% | 3.70% | 3.50% | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.40% |
| 1967 | 3.90% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.90% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 4.00% | 3.90% | 3.80% |
| 1966 | 4.00% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.90% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.80% | 3.70% | 3.70% | 3.60% | 3.80% |
| 1965 | 4.90% | 5.10% | 4.70% | 4.80% | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.40% | 4.40% | 4.30% | 4.20% | 4.10% | 4.00% |
| 1964 | 5.60% | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.30% | 5.10% | 5.20% | 4.90% | 5.00% | 5.10% | 5.10% | 4.80% | 5.00% |
| 1963 | 5.70% | 5.90% | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.90% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.40% | 5.50% | 5.50% | 5.70% | 5.50% |
| 1962 | 5.80% | 5.50% | 5.60% | 5.60% | 5.50% | 5.50% | 5.40% | 5.70% | 5.60% | 5.40% | 5.70% | 5.50% |
| 1961 | 6.60% | 6.90% | 6.90% | 7.00% | 7.10% | 6.90% | 7.00% | 6.60% | 6.70% | 6.50% | 6.10% | 6.00% |
| 1960 | 5.20% | 4.80% | 5.40% | 5.20% | 5.10% | 5.40% | 5.50% | 5.60% | 5.50% | 6.10% | 6.10% | 6.60% |
| 1959 | 6.00% | 5.90% | 5.60% | 5.20% | 5.10% | 5.00% | 5.10% | 5.20% | 5.50% | 5.70% | 5.80% | 5.30% |
| 1958 | 5.80% | 6.40% | 6.70% | 7.40% | 7.40% | 7.30% | 7.50% | 7.40% | 7.10% | 6.70% | 6.20% | 6.20% |
| 1957 | 4.20% | 3.90% | 3.70% | 3.90% | 4.10% | 4.30% | 4.20% | 4.10% | 4.40% | 4.50% | 5.10% | 5.20% |
| 1956 | 4.00% | 3.90% | 4.20% | 4.00% | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.40% | 4.10% | 3.90% | 3.90% | 4.30% | 4.20% |
| 1955 | 4.90% | 4.70% | 4.60% | 4.70% | 4.30% | 4.20% | 4.00% | 4.20% | 4.10% | 4.30% | 4.20% | 4.20% |
| 1954 | 4.90% | 5.20% | 5.70% | 5.90% | 5.90% | 5.60% | 5.80% | 6.00% | 6.10% | 5.70% | 5.30% | 5.00% |
| 1953 | 2.90% | 2.60% | 2.60% | 2.70% | 2.50% | 2.50% | 2.60% | 2.70% | 2.90% | 3.10% | 3.50% | 4.50% |
| 1952 | 3.20% | 3.10% | 2.90% | 2.90% | 3.00% | 3.00% | 3.20% | 3.40% | 3.10% | 3.00% | 2.80% | 2.70% |
| 1951 | 3.70% | 3.40% | 3.40% | 3.10% | 3.00% | 3.20% | 3.10% | 3.10% | 3.30% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.10% |
| 1950 | 6.50% | 6.40% | 6.30% | 5.80% | 5.50% | 5.40% | 5.00% | 4.50% | 4.40% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.30% |
| 1949 | 4.30% | 4.70% | 5.00% | 5.30% | 6.10% | 6.20% | 6.70% | 6.80% | 6.60% | 7.90% | 6.40% | 6.60% |
| 1948 | 3.40% | 3.80% | 4.00% | 3.90% | 3.50% | 3.60% | 3.60% | 3.90% | 3.80% | 3.70% | 3.80% | 4.00% |
For more information on the other measurements of the Unemployment rate see: What is U-6 Unemployment?
The unemployment rate is not as accurate as the Current Employment Data in determining how many people are actually employed.
Misery Index- Created by economist Arthur Okun to help gauge the level of misery the average person is suffering. It is a combination of the inflation rate and the unemployment rate.
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How the Unemployment Rate is Determined
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the all important “Unemployment Rate” is based on a survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS). The government calls up 60,000 households every month and then estimates the unemployment rate based on that sample.
Photo of a sculpture at the FDR Memorial by
Woodley Wonder Works depicting the unemployed men during the Great Depression.
See Current Unemployment Rate for more information.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Seasonally Adjusted UnEmployment Rate
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