About the US unemployment rate
The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force that has no job, is available to work and has looked for work in the past four weeks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates it each month from the Current Population Survey of about 60,000 households and publishes it on the first Friday of the month in the Employment Situation report.
It rises quickly in recessions – to 10.8% in late 1982, 10.0% in 2009 and 14.8% in April 2020 – and falls slowly in expansions. October 2025 was not collected because of a government shutdown, so that month is blank.
US Unemployment Rate by year
| Year | Average | High | Low | December / latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Sep) | 4.2% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.2% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | 4.5% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| 2024 | 4.0% | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.1% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | 3.9% | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | 4.0% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | 6.4% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| 2020 | 8.1% | 14.8% | 3.5% | 6.7% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | 4.0% | 3.5% | 3.6% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5.0% | 5.0% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | 6.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2013 | 7.4% | 8.0% | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| 2012 | 8.1% | 8.3% | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 8.5% | 8.5% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | 9.9% | 9.3% | 9.3% |
| 2009 | 9.3% | 10.0% | 7.8% | 9.9% |
| 2008 | 5.8% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 7.3% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | 5.0% | 4.4% | 5.0% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | 6.3% | 5.7% | 5.7% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 5.7% | 6.0% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | 5.7% | 4.2% | 5.7% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.9% |
| 1999 | 4.2% | 4.4% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% | 4.4% |
| 1997 | 4.9% | 5.3% | 4.6% | 4.7% |
Monthly values. The last 30 years are shown; the chart above has the full history since January 1948.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the current US unemployment rate?
The US unemployment rate was 4.2% in September 2026, down 0.2 points from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What was the highest US unemployment rate on record?
Since January 1948, the highest reading was 14.8% in April 2020 and the lowest was 2.5% in May 1953.
Where does this data come from?
The numbers are published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and distributed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in FRED (series UNRATE). They are US government statistics in the public domain. Quotelinks checks for new data every day.
Can I put this US unemployment rate chart on my website?
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