Unemployment Rate
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.
This is the table of monthly unemployment rates from 1948 through the present:
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2012 | 8.30% | 8.30% | 8.2% | 8.1% | ||||||||
| 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.
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.
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