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.
In April 2025, the agriculture and related private wage and salary workers industry had the highest unemployment rate in the United States, at eight percent. In comparison, government workers had the lowest unemployment rate, at 1.8 percent. The average for all industries was 3.9 percent. U.S. unemployment There are several factors that impact unemployment, as it fluctuates with the state of the economy. Unfortunately, the forecasted unemployment rate in the United States is expected to increase as we head into the latter half of the decade. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher saw the lowest unemployment rate from 1992 to 2022 in the United States, which is attributed to the fact that higher levels of education are seen as more desirable in the workforce. Nevada unemployment Nevada is one of the states with the highest unemployment rates in the country and Vermont typically has one of the lowest unemployment rates. These are seasonally adjusted rates, which means that seasonal factors such as holiday periods and weather events that influence employment periods are removed. Nevada's economy consists of industries that are currently suffering high unemployment rates such as tourism. As of May 2023, about 5.4 percent of Nevada's population was unemployed, possibly due to the lingering impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed and unemployed) based on International Labour Office (ILO) definition. Unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who fulfil all three following conditions: - are without work during the reference week; - are available to start work within the next two weeks; - have been actively seeking work in the past four weeks or have already found a job to start within the next three months. The indicator monitors high and persistent rates of unemployment and it helps to better understand the potential severity of macroeconomic imbalances. It points towards a potential misallocation of resources and general lack of adjustment capacity in the economy. The quarterly time series are seasonally adjusted. The data source is the quarterly EU Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). The EU LFS covers the resident population in private households.
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Graph and download economic data for Noncyclical Rate of Unemployment (NROU) from Q1 1949 to Q4 2035 about NAIRU, long-term, projection, unemployment, rate, and USA.
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Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 20 Yrs. & over (LNS14000024) from Jan 1948 to Jul 2025 about 20 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.
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Unemployment Rate in France remained unchanged at 7.50 percent in the second quarter of 2025 from 7.50 percent in the first quarter of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.
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United States FRBOP Forecast: Unemployment Rate: Mean: sa: Plus 3 Qtrs data was reported at 3.679 % in Mar 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.629 % for Dec 2018. United States FRBOP Forecast: Unemployment Rate: Mean: sa: Plus 3 Qtrs data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.788 % from Dec 1968 (Median) to Mar 2019, with 202 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.992 % in Mar 1983 and a record low of 3.629 % in Dec 2018. United States FRBOP Forecast: Unemployment Rate: Mean: sa: Plus 3 Qtrs data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G025: Current Population Survey: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted: Forecast: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
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Unemployment Rate in Japan remained unchanged at 2.50 percent in June. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Japan Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.
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.
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Key information about US Unemployment Rate
Unemployment rate, participation rate, and employment rate by educational attainment, gender and age group, annual.
The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed and unemployed) based on International Labour Office (ILO) definition. Unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who fulfil all three following conditions: - are without work during the reference week; - are available to start work within the next two weeks; - have been actively seeking work in the past four weeks or have already found a job to start within the next three months. The indicator monitors high and persistent rates of unemployment and it helps to better understand the potential severity of macroeconomic imbalances. It points towards a potential misallocation of resources and general lack of adjustment capacity in the economy. The indicator is the three-year backward moving average, i.e. the data for year Y is the arithmetic average of data for years Y, Y-1 and Y-2. It is calculated: [URt+URt-1+URt-2]/3. The indicative threshold is 10%. The data source is the quarterly EU Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). The EU LFS covers the resident population in private households.
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Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) (U6RATE) from Jan 1994 to Jul 2025 about marginally attached, part-time, labor underutilization, workers, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, and USA.
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United States FRBOP Forecast: Unemployment Rate: Mean: sa: Plus 2 Qtrs data was reported at 3.695 % in Mar 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.648 % for Dec 2018. United States FRBOP Forecast: Unemployment Rate: Mean: sa: Plus 2 Qtrs data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.855 % from Dec 1968 (Median) to Mar 2019, with 202 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.178 % in Mar 1983 and a record low of 3.648 % in Dec 2018. United States FRBOP Forecast: Unemployment Rate: Mean: sa: Plus 2 Qtrs data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G025: Current Population Survey: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted: Forecast: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
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Unemployment Rate in Philippines decreased to 3.70 percent in June from 3.90 percent in May of 2025. This dataset provides - Philippines Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
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Unemployment Rate in China increased to 5.20 percent in July from 5 percent in June of 2025. This dataset provides - China Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
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Unemployment Rate in Brazil decreased to 5.80 percent in June from 6.20 percent in May of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Brazil Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.
This data shows a summary of annual unemployment rates for cities within the metro Phoenix area and supports Tempe's Unemployment Rate performance measure. The performance measure page is available at 5.13 Unemployment Rate. Additional Information Source: https://www.bls.gov/Contact (author): Madalaine McConvilleContact E-Mail (author): madalaine_mcconville@tempe.govContact (maintainer): Contact E-Mail (maintainer): Data Source Type: Excel tablePreparation Method: Extracted for selected citiesPublish Frequency: AnnualPublish Method: ManualData Dictionary
The infra-annual dataflow on the monthly unemployment rate is a subset of the infra-annual labour statistics database, which contains predominantly monthly and quarterly statistics on the unemployed population by age groups (15+, 15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 15-64 and 15-74 where available) and sex and associated statistical methodological information and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and for selected other economies.
The unemployment rate is calculated as the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force (i.e., the unemployed plus those in employment). The unemployed are persons in their working age who, in the reference period, do not have a job; are available for work; and, have taken specific steps to find a job.
The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.
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Unemployment Rate in Canada remained unchanged at 6.90 percent in July. This dataset provides - Canada Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.
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.