In 2025, it was estimated that over 163 million Americans were in some form of employment, while 4.16 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.

From the late 19th century until the 1980s, the United States' unemployment rate was generally somewhere between three and ten percent of the total workforce. The periods when it peaked were in times of recession or depression - the Panic of 1893, which lasted until 1897, saw unemployment peak at over 18 percent, whereas the post-WWI recession saw unemployment spike to almost 12 percent in 1921.

However, the longest and most-severe period of mass unemployment in U.S. history came during the Great Depression - unemployment rose from just 3.2 percent in 1929 to one quarter of the total workforce in 1933, and it was not until the Second World War until it fell below five percent once more. Since this time, unemployment has never exceeded 10 percent, although it did come close during the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s.

More recent unemployment statistics for the U.S. can be found here.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 20 Yrs. & over (LNS14000024) from Jan 1948 to Aug 2025 about 20 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

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

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-24 Yrs. (LNS14024887) from Jan 1948 to Aug 2025 about 16 to 24 years, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Unemployment Rate in Canada remained unchanged at 7.10 percent in September. This dataset provides - Canada Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Unemployment Rate in Japan increased to 2.60 percent in August from 2.30 percent in July of 2025. 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 Volcker Shock was a period of historically high interest rates precipitated by Federal Reserve Chairperson Paul Volcker's decision to raise the central bank's key interest rate, the Fed funds effective rate, during the first three years of his term. Volcker was appointed chairperson of the Fed in August 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, as replacement for William Miller, who Carter had made his treasury secretary. Volcker was one of the most hawkish (supportive of tighter monetary policy to stem inflation) members of the Federal Reserve's committee, and quickly set about changing the course of monetary policy in the U.S. in order to quell inflation. The Volcker Shock is remembered for bringing an end to over a decade of high inflation in the United States, prompting a deep recession and high unemployment, and for spurring on debt defaults among developing countries in Latin America who had borrowed in U.S. dollars.

Monetary tightening and the recessions of the early '80s

Beginning in October 1979, Volcker's Fed tightened monetary policy by raising interest rates. This decision had the effect of depressing demand and slowing down the U.S. economy, as credit became more expensive for households and businesses. The Fed funds rate, the key overnight rate at which banks lend their excess reserves to each other, rose as high as 17.6 percent in early 1980. The rate was allowed to fall back below 10 percent following this first peak, however, due to worries that inflation was not falling fast enough, a second cycle of monetary tightening was embarked upon starting in August of 1980. The rate would reach its all-time peak in June of 1981, at 19.1 percent. The second recession sparked by these hikes was far deeper than the 1980 recession, with unemployment peaking at 10.8 percent in December 1980, the highest level since The Great Depression. This recession would drive inflation to a low point during Volcker's terms of 2.5 percent in August 1983.

The legacy of the Volcker Shock

By the end of Volcker's terms as Fed Chair, inflation was at a manageable rate of around four percent, while unemployment had fallen under six percent, as the economy grew and business confidence returned. While supporters of Volcker's actions point to these numbers as proof of the efficacy of his actions, critics have claimed that there were less harmful ways that inflation could have been brought under control. The recessions of the early 1980s are cited as accelerating deindustrialization in the U.S., as manufacturing jobs lost in 'rust belt' states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania never returned during the years of recovery. The Volcker Shock was also a driving factor behind the Latin American debt crises of the 1980s, as governments in the region defaulted on debts which they had incurred in U.S. dollars. Debates about the validity of using interest rate hikes to get inflation under control have recently re-emerged due to the inflationary pressures facing the U.S. following the Coronavirus pandemic and the Federal Reserve's subsequent decision to embark on a course of monetary tightening.

Unemployment Rate in the United Kingdom increased to 4.80 percent in August from 4.70 percent in July of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom 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 Germany remained unchanged at 6.30 percent in September. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Germany Unemployment 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 in New York (NYUR) from Jan 1976 to Aug 2025 about NY, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Unemployment Rate in Australia increased to 4.50 percent in September from 4.30 percent in August of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Unemployment Rate at 5.8% in December - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

CSI: Expected Unemployment: Next Yr: More data was reported at 24.000 % in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 25.000 % for Apr 2018. CSI: Expected Unemployment: Next Yr: More data is updated monthly, averaging 31.000 % from Jan 1978 (Median) to May 2018, with 485 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 72.000 % in May 1980 and a record low of 13.000 % in May 1983. CSI: Expected Unemployment: Next Yr: More data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by University of Michigan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H030: Consumer Sentiment Index: Unemployment, Interest Rates, Prices and Government Expectations. The question was: How about people out of work during the coming 12 months -- do you think there will be more unemployment than now, about the same, or less?

The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Algeria was estimated at 5,680 U.S. dollars in 2024. From 1980 to 2024, the GDP per capita rose by 3,220 U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. Between 2024 and 2030, the GDP per capita will rise by 60 U.S. dollars, showing an overall upward trend with periodic ups and downs.This indicator describes the gross domestic product per capita at current prices. Thereby, the gross domestic product was first converted from national currency to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates and then divided by the total population. The gross domestic product is a measure of a country's productivity. It refers to the total value of goods and service produced during a given time period (here a year).

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-19 Yrs. (LNS14000012) from Jan 1948 to Aug 2025 about 16 to 19 years, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Tunisia was estimated at 4,300 U.S. dollars in 2024. Between 1980 and 2024, the GDP per capita rose by 2,820 U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend. The GDP per capita will steadily rise by 590 U.S. dollars over the period from 2024 to 2030, reflecting a clear upward trend.This indicator describes the gross domestic product per capita at current prices. Thereby, the gross domestic product was first converted from national currency to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates and then divided by the total population. The gross domestic product is a measure of a country's productivity. It refers to the total value of goods and service produced during a given time period (here a year).

These data were collected to explore the relationship between profit levels in the concrete industry and the antitrust enforcement activities undertaken by the United States Department of Justice in 19 cities over an 11-year period. The data collection is composed mainly of published aggregate data on ready-mix concrete costs and prices. Profits and estimates of collusive markups in this industry can be calculated and related to antitrust enforcement efforts. Variables include measures of wages and materials costs, prices of concrete products, number of building permits issued, gasoline prices, the consumer price index, number of laborers employed, unemployment rates, measures of change in the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division budget, change in number of DOJ permanent enforcement personnel, and number of antitrust criminal actions initiated by DOJ against ready-mix concrete users, producers of related products, producers of substitutes for ready-mix products, and ready-mix producers.

CSI: Expected Inflation: Next 5 Yrs data was reported at 2.400 % in Jul 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.600 % for Jun 2018. CSI: Expected Inflation: Next 5 Yrs data is updated monthly, averaging 2.900 % from Feb 1979 (Median) to Jul 2018, with 382 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.700 % in Feb 1980 and a record low of 2.300 % in Dec 2016. CSI: Expected Inflation: Next 5 Yrs data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by University of Michigan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H030: Consumer Sentiment Index: Unemployment, Interest Rates, Prices and Government Expectations. The questions were: 'What about the outlook for prices over the next 5 to 10 years? Do you think prices will be higher, to go up, on the average, during the next 12 months?' and 'By about what percent per year do you expect prices to go up or down, on the average, during the next 5 to 10 years?'

United States CSI: Expected Inflation: Next 5 Yrs: Up by 15%+ data was reported at 1.000 % in May 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.000 % for Apr 2018. United States CSI: Expected Inflation: Next 5 Yrs: Up by 15%+ data is updated monthly, averaging 1.000 % from Feb 1979 (Median) to May 2018, with 380 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.000 % in Feb 1980 and a record low of 0.000 % in Apr 2018. United States CSI: Expected Inflation: Next 5 Yrs: Up by 15%+ data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by University of Michigan. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H030: Consumer Sentiment Index: Unemployment, Interest Rates, Prices and Government Expectations. The questions were: 'What about the outlook for prices over the next 5 to 10 years? Do you think prices will be higher, to go up, on the average, during the next 12 months?' and 'By about what percent per year do you expect prices to go up or down, on the average, during the next 5 to 10 years?'

These files contain the publicly available data and statistical code to reproduce the tables and figures found in: Harper S, Charters TJ, Strumpf EC, Galea S, Nandi A. Economic downturns and suicide mortality in the United States, 1980-2010: observational study. Int J Epidemiol 2015