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.

The seasonally-adjusted national unemployment rate is measured on a monthly basis in the United States. In February 2025, the national unemployment rate was at 4.1 percent. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical method of removing the seasonal component of a time series that is used when analyzing non-seasonal trends. U.S. monthly unemployment rate According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics - the principle fact-finding agency for the U.S. Federal Government in labor economics and statistics - unemployment decreased dramatically between 2010 and 2019. This trend of decreasing unemployment followed after a high in 2010 resulting from the 2008 financial crisis. However, after a smaller financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment reached 8.1 percent in 2020. As the economy recovered, the unemployment rate fell to 5.3 in 2021, and fell even further in 2022. Additional statistics from the BLS paint an interesting picture of unemployment in the United States. In November 2023, the states with the highest (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate were the Nevada and the District of Columbia. Unemployment was the lowest in Maryland, at 1.8 percent. Workers in the agricultural and related industries suffered the highest unemployment rate of any industry at seven percent in December 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Black or African American (LNS14000006) from Jan 1972 to Jun 2025 about African-American, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

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 in Greece decreased to 7.90 percent in May from 8.30 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Greece Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Unemployment Rate in Serbia increased to 9.10 percent in the first quarter of 2025 from 8.60 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Serbia Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Historical chart and dataset showing Japan unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

Italy's unemployment rate reached 7.6 percent in 2023, the lowest value since 2009. Forecasts suggest that it will stabilize around 7.5 percent between 2024 and 2026. The regions with the highest unemployment rates were in the south. Campania, Calabria, and Sicily registered rates from 15.8 percent to 17.4 percent, a large difference when compared to the northern regions, as only 2.8 percent of residents in Trentino South-Tyrol were unemployed, the lowest share nationwide. Young people mostly impacted Figures about the youth unemployment rate show that the financial crisis impacted the young working population significantly. Between 2004 and 2007, the share of unemployed individuals aged 15 to 24 years was declining. Subsequently, between 2008 and 2014, the rate almost doubled. In this case, southern regions had the largest share of young people without a job. In Sicily, Campania, and Calabria, more than one third of the population aged between 15 and 24 years was unemployed in 2022. Women more often unemployed In most of the Italian regions, the share of young unemployed women was higher than those of young males. In both Campania and Sicily, 50 percent of women aged 15 to 24 years did not have a job. Sicily was the region in Italy with the highest rate of unemployed young men. In this region, 51 percent of males were unemployed, almost five times more than in Trentino-South Tyrol, where the unemployment rate of young men stood at around nine percent.

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 Jun 2025 about marginally attached, part-time, labor underutilization, workers, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, and USA.

Unemployment rate, participation rate, and employment rate by educational attainment, gender and age group, annual.

Youth Unemployment Rate in Serbia decreased to 24.10 percent in the first quarter of 2025 from 25.80 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Serbia Youth Unemployment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Unemployment Rate in Spain increased to 11.36 percent in the first quarter of 2025 from 10.61 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Spain Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2024, the unemployment rate in Worldwide stood at 4.89 percent. Between 1991 and 2024, the figure dropped by 0.24 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

This dataset shows the evolution of the unemployment rate in the regions of the European Union between 2008 and 2013.

The unemployment rate in the EU-28 fell from 9.3% in 2004 to 7.1% in 2008. Between 2008 and 2013, however, it rose to 10.9%, higher than at any time for which data are available (since 2000). In the EU-15, unemployment was 11.1% in 2013, which is also higher than at any time for which comparable figures are available.

EU-28 = 3.5; Source: Eurostat, DG REGIO

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Michigan (MIUR) from Jan 1976 to Jun 2025 about MI, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Unemployment Rate in South Africa increased to 32.90 percent in the first quarter of 2025 from 31.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - South Africa Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Unemployment Rate in Barbados decreased to 7.10 percent in the third quarter of 2024 from 7.70 percent in the second quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Barbados Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

France unemployment rate for 2024 was 7.37%, a 0.04% increase from 2023.

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

<li>France unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>7.34%</strong>, a <strong>0.03% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>France unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>7.31%</strong>, a <strong>0.57% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>France unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>7.87%</strong>, a <strong>0.14% 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.

United States Unemployment Rate: Louisiana data was reported at 4.700 % in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.000 % for Sep 2018. United States Unemployment Rate: Louisiana data is updated monthly, averaging 6.800 % from Jan 1976 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 514 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.700 % in Jan 1987 and a record low of 3.600 % in Apr 2008. United States Unemployment Rate: Louisiana 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.G057: Unemployment Rate: By State.

Switzerland unemployment rate for 2024 was 4.11%, a 0.07% increase from 2023.

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

<li>Switzerland unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>4.04%</strong>, a <strong>0.08% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Switzerland unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>4.12%</strong>, a <strong>0.89% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Switzerland unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>5.01%</strong>, a <strong>0.2% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.