Unemployment Rate in the United States remained unchanged at 4.20 percent in May. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2023, it was estimated that over 161 million Americans were in some form of employment, while 3.64 percent of the total workforce was unemployed. This was the lowest unemployment rate since the 1950s, although these figures are expected to rise in 2023 and beyond. 1980s-2010s Since the 1980s, the total United States labor force has generally risen as the population has grown, however, the annual average unemployment rate has fluctuated significantly, usually increasing in times of crisis, before falling more slowly during periods of recovery and economic stability. For example, unemployment peaked at 9.7 percent during the early 1980s recession, which was largely caused by the ripple effects of the Iranian Revolution on global oil prices and inflation. Other notable spikes came during the early 1990s; again, largely due to inflation caused by another oil shock, and during the early 2000s recession. The Great Recession then saw the U.S. unemployment rate soar to 9.6 percent, following the collapse of the U.S. housing market and its impact on the banking sector, and it was not until 2016 that unemployment returned to pre-recession levels. 2020s 2019 had marked a decade-long low in unemployment, before the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic saw the sharpest year-on-year increase in unemployment since the Great Depression, and the total number of workers fell by almost 10 million people. Despite the continuation of the pandemic in the years that followed, alongside the associated supply-chain issues and onset of the inflation crisis, unemployment reached just 3.67 percent in 2022 - current projections are for this figure to rise in 2023 and the years that follow, although these forecasts are subject to change if recent years are anything to go by.

In 2024, the U.S. employment rate stood at 60.1 percent. Employed persons consist of: persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week; persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-operated enterprise; and persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs because of illness, vacation, bad weather, industrial dispute, or various personal reasons. The employment-population ratio represents the proportion of the civilian non-institutional population that is employed. The monthly unemployment rate for the United States can be found here.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 20 Yrs. & over (LNU04000024) from Jan 1948 to May 2025 about 20 years +, unemployment, rate, and USA.

U.S. unemployment rate for 2024 was 4.11%, a 0.47% increase from 2023.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>U.S. unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>3.64%</strong>, a <strong>0.01% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>U.S. unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>3.65%</strong>, a <strong>1.7% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>U.S. unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>5.35%</strong>, a <strong>2.71% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

Labor Force Participation Rate in the United States decreased to 62.40 percent in May from 62.60 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Labor Force Participation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate Full-Time Workers (LNS14100000) from Jan 1968 to May 2025 about full-time, workers, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

In 1990, the unemployment rate of the United States stood at 5.6 percent. Since then there have been many significant fluctuations to this number - the 2008 financial crisis left millions of people without work, as did the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of 2022 and throughout 2023, the unemployment rate came to 3.6 percent, the lowest rate seen for decades. However, 2024 saw an increase up to four percent. For monthly updates on unemployment in the United States visit either the monthly national unemployment rate here, or the monthly state unemployment rate here. Both are seasonally adjusted. UnemploymentUnemployment is defined as a situation when an employed person is laid off, fired or quits his work and is still actively looking for a job. Unemployment can be found even in the healthiest economies, and many economists consider an unemployment rate at or below five percent to mean there is 'full employment' within an economy. If former employed persons go back to school or leave the job to take care of children they are no longer part of the active labor force and therefore not counted among the unemployed. Unemployment can also be the effect of events that are not part of the normal dynamics of an economy. Layoffs can be the result of technological progress, for example when robots replace workers in automobile production. Sometimes unemployment is caused by job outsourcing, due to the fact that employers often search for cheap labor around the globe and not only domestically. In 2022, the tech sector in the U.S. experienced significant lay-offs amid growing economic uncertainty. In the fourth quarter of 2022, more than 70,000 workers were laid off, despite low unemployment nationwide. The unemployment rate in the United States varies from state to state. In 2021, California had the highest number of unemployed persons with 1.38 million out of work.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate Part-Time Workers (LNS14200000) from Jan 1968 to Apr 2025 about part-time, workers, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Full Time Employment in the United States decreased to 134840 Thousand in May from 135463 Thousand in April of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Full Time Employment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is either employed or unemployed (that is, either working or actively seeking work). People with jobs are employed. People who are jobless, looking for a job, and available for work are unemployed. The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed. People who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force.

United States US: Unemployment Rate: % Change data was reported at -10.616 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of -8.031 % for 2016. United States US: Unemployment Rate: % Change data is updated yearly, averaging -5.513 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2017, with 69 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.744 % in 1954 and a record low of -37.402 % in 1951. United States US: Unemployment Rate: % Change data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Annual.

The unemployment rate for people ages 16 to 24 in the United States in 202024 23 was 10 percent. However, this rate was much lower for people aged 45 and over, at 2.9 percent. U.S. unemployment The unemployment rate in the United States varies based on several factors, such as race, gender, and level of education. Black and African-American individuals had the highest unemployment rate in 2021 out of any ethnicity, and people who had less than a high school diploma had the highest unemployment rate by education level. Alaska is consistently the state with the highest unemployment rate, although the El Centro, California metropolitan area was the area with the highest unemployment rate in the country in 2019. Additionally, in August 2022, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had the highest unemployment rate in the United States Unemployment rate The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is the agency that researches and calculates the unemployment rate in the United States. Unemployment rises during recessions, which causes the cost of social welfare programs to increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says unemployed people are those who are jobless, have looked for employment within the last four weeks, and are free to work.

United States US: Employment Rate: Age 15-74 data was reported at 67.118 % in 2026. This records an increase from the previous number of 66.828 % for 2025. United States US: Employment Rate: Age 15-74 data is updated yearly, averaging 65.646 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2026, with 42 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 69.750 % in 2000 and a record low of 61.414 % in 2010. United States US: Employment Rate: Age 15-74 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.OECD.EO: Employment and Unemployment: Forecast: OECD Member: Annual.

This layer contains the latest 14 months of unemployment statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The data is offered at the nationwide, state, and county geography levels. Puerto Rico is included. These are not seasonally adjusted values.The layer is updated monthly with the newest unemployment statistics available from BLS. There are attributes in the layer that specify which month is associated to each statistic. Most current month: April 2025 (preliminary values at the state and county level)The attributes included for each month are:Unemployment rate (%)Count of unemployed populationCount of employed population in the labor forceCount of people in the labor forceData obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data downloaded: May 28th, 2025Local Area Unemployment Statistics table download: https://www.bls.gov/lau/#tablesLocal Area Unemployment FTP downloads:State and CountyNationData Notes:This layer is updated automatically when the BLS releases their most current monthly statistics. The layer always contains the most recent estimates. It is updated within days of the BLS's county release schedule. BLS releases their county statistics roughly 2 months after-the-fact. The data is joined to 2023 TIGER boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau.Monthly values are subject to revision over time.For national values, employed plus unemployed may not sum to total labor force due to rounding.As of the January 2022 estimates released on March 18th, 2022, BLS is reporting new data for the two new census areas in Alaska - Copper River and Chugach - and historical data for the previous census area - Valdez Cordova.As of the March 17th, 2025 release, BLS now reports data for 9 planning regions in Connecticut rather than the 8 previous counties.To better understand the different labor force statistics included in this map, see the diagram below from BLS:

Part Time Employment in the United States increased to 28523 Thousand in April from 28467 Thousand in March of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Part Time Employment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, the employment rate of the workforce of 55 years and older decreased to 37.3 percent. Employment rate among young adults (age 16-24) was at 50.9 percent in 2024. For monthly updates on employment in the United States visit the annual national employment rate here.

United States Unemployment Rate: Female data was reported at 3.400 % in Dec 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.500 % for Nov 2018. United States Unemployment Rate: Female data is updated monthly, averaging 5.850 % from Jan 1948 (Median) to Dec 2018, with 852 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.400 % in Jun 1983 and a record low of 2.600 % in May 1953. United States Unemployment Rate: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G018: Current Population Survey: Unemployment Rate.

The unemployment rate in fiscal year 2204 rose to 3.9 percent. The unemployment rate of the United States which has been steadily decreasing since the 2008 financial crisis, spiked to 8.1 percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual unemployment rate of the U.S. since 1990 can be found here. Falling unemployment The unemployment rate, or the part of the U.S. labor force that is without a job, fell again in 2022 after peaking at 8.1 percent in 2020 - a rate that has not been seen since the years following the 2008 financial crisis. The financial crash caused unemployment in the U.S. to soar from 4.6 percent in 2007 to 9.6 percent in 2010. Since 2010, the unemployment rate had been steadily falling, meaning that more and more people are finding work, whether that be through full-time employment or part-time employment. However, the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic created a spike in unemployment across the country. U.S. unemployment in comparison Compared to unemployment rates in the European Union, U.S. unemployment is relatively low. Greece was hit particularly hard by the 2008 financial crisis and faced a government debt crisis that sent the Greek economy into a tailspin. Due to this crisis, and the added impact of the pandemic, Greece still has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union.

Unemployment Rate: sa: U2 Job Losers Who Completed Temporary Jobs data was reported at 1.900 % in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.800 % for May 2018. Unemployment Rate: sa: U2 Job Losers Who Completed Temporary Jobs data is updated monthly, averaging 2.750 % from Jan 1967 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 618 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.600 % in Nov 1982 and a record low of 1.200 % in Sep 1969. Unemployment Rate: sa: U2 Job Losers Who Completed Temporary Jobs data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G021: Current Population Survey: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.