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.

In February 2025, the unemployment rate for those aged 16 and over in the United States came to 4.5 percent. Service occupations had an unemployment rate of 6.3 percent in that month. The underemployment rate of the country can be accessed here and the monthly unemployment rate here. Unemployment by occupation in the U.S. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics publish data on the unemployment situation within certain occupations in the United States on a monthly basis. According to latest data released from May 2023, transportation and material moving occupations experienced the highest level of unemployment that month, with a rate of around 5.6 percent. Second ranked was farming, fishing, and forestry occupations with a rate of 4.9 percent. Total (not seasonally adjusted) unemployment was reported at 3.6 percent in March 2023. Other data on the U.S. unemployment rate by industry and class of worker shows comparable results. It should be noted that the data were not seasonally adjusted to account for normal seasonal fluctuations in unemployment. The monthly unemployment by occupation data can be compared to the seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate. In March 2023, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, which was an increase from the previous month. The annual unemployment rate in 2022 was 3.6 percent, down from a high of 9.6 in 2010. Unemployment in the United States trended downward after the coronavirus pandemic, and is now experiencing consistently low rates - a sign of economic stability. Individuals who opt to leave the workforce and stop looking for employment are not included among the unemployed. The civilian labor force participation rate in the U.S. rose to 62.2 percent in 2022, down from 67.1 percent in 2000, before the financial crisis.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Other Services Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers (LNU04032242) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about salaries, workers, private industries, 16 years +, wages, household survey, services, private, unemployment, industry, 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 - Construction Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers (LNU04032231) from Jan 2000 to Apr 2025 about salaries, workers, private industries, 16 years +, construction, wages, household survey, private, unemployment, industry, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Transportation and Utilities Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers (LNU04032236) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about utilities, salaries, workers, transportation, private industries, 16 years +, wages, household survey, private, unemployment, industry, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Wholesale and Retail Trade, Private Wage and Salary Workers (LNU04032235) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about wholesale, salaries, workers, retail trade, 16 years +, wages, sales, retail, household survey, private, unemployment, rate, and USA.

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.

United States - Unemployment Rate - Financial Activities Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers was 2.90% in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - Financial Activities Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers reached a record high of 7.70 in March of 2010 and a record low of 1.30 in September of 2022. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - Financial Activities Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate in the information industry in the United States stood at 3.9 percent, increasing from 3.1 percent in the same quarter of 2023. In 2020, the tech industry was hit hard by the economic recession brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, registering a record 12 percent unemployment rate during the second quarter. Information industry in the U.S. The U.S. information industry consists of those businesses involved in the production or distribution of information, those involved in providing a means to distribute information and data, and those involved in data processing. More specifically, the sector is comprised of six segments: publishing industries (except internet), motion picture and sound recording industries, broadcasting (except internet), telecommunications, data processing/hosting, and other information services. Employment in the U.S. information industry As a whole, the sector employs nearly three million people around the United States and accounts for a significant portion of the country’s entertainment industry. As unemployment has fallen, average hourly earnings within the sector have also risen sharply within the past decade, now amounting to almost 45 dollars per hour. This trend towards more favorable employment conditions comes at a time when union membership within the industry declined to 8.4 percent in 2022.

To ensure respondent confidentiality, estimates below a certain threshold are suppressed. For Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia suppression is applied to all data below 1,500. The threshold level for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan is 500, while in Prince Edward Island, estimates under 200 are suppressed. For census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and economic regions (ERs), use their respective provincial suppression levels mentioned above. Estimates are based on smaller sample sizes the more detailed the table becomes, which could result in lower data quality. Fluctuations in economic time series are caused by seasonal, cyclical and irregular movements. A seasonally adjusted series is one from which seasonal movements have been eliminated. Seasonal movements are defined as those which are caused by regular annual events such as climate, holidays, vacation periods and cycles related to crops, production and retail sales associated with Christmas and Easter. It should be noted that the seasonally adjusted series contain irregular as well as longer-term cyclical fluctuations. The seasonal adjustment program is a complicated computer program which differentiates between these seasonal, cyclical and irregular movements in a series over a number of years and, on the basis of past movements, estimates appropriate seasonal factors for current data. On an annual basis, the historic series of seasonally adjusted data are revised in light of the most recent information on changes in seasonality. Number of civilian, non-institutionalized persons 15 years of age and over who, during the reference week, were employed or unemployed. Estimates in thousands, rounded to the nearest hundred. Number of persons who, during the reference week, worked for pay or profit, or performed unpaid family work or had a job but were not at work due to own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, labour dispute, vacation, or other reason. Those persons on layoff and persons without work but who had a job to start at a definite date in the future are not considered employed. Estimates in thousands, rounded to the nearest hundred. Number of persons who, during the reference week, were without work, had looked for work in the past four weeks, and were available for work. Those persons on layoff or who had a new job to start in four weeks or less are considered unemployed. Estimates in thousands, rounded to the nearest hundred. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. The unemployment rate for a particular group (age, gender, marital status, etc.) is the number unemployed in that group expressed as a percentage of the labour force for that group. Estimates are percentages, rounded to the nearest tenth. Industry refers to the general nature of the business carried out by the employer for whom the respondent works (main job only). Industry estimates in this table are based on the 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Formerly Management of companies and administrative and other support services"." This combines the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 11 to 91. This combines the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 11 to 33. This combines the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 41 to 91. Unemployed persons who have never worked before, and those unemployed persons who last worked more than 1 year ago. For more information on seasonal adjustment see Seasonally adjusted data - Frequently asked questions." Labour Force Survey (LFS) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code exception: add group 1100 - Farming - not elsewhere classified (nec). When the type of farm activity cannot be distinguished between crop and livestock, (for example: mixed farming). Labour Force Survey (LFS) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code exception: add group 2100 - Mining - not elsewhere classified (nec). Whenever the type of mining activity cannot be distinguished. Also referred to as Natural resources. The standard error (SE) of an estimate is an indicator of the variability associated with this estimate, as the estimate is based on a sample rather than the entire population. The SE can be used to construct confidence intervals and calculate coefficients of variation (CVs). The confidence interval can be built by adding the SE to an estimate in order to determine the upper limit of this interval, and by subtracting the same amount from the estimate to determine the lower limit. The CV can be calculated by dividing the SE by the estimate. See Section 7 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (opens new window) for more information. The standard errors presented in this table are the average of the standard errors for 12 previous months The standard error (SE) for the month-to-month change is an indicator of the variability associated with the estimate of the change between two consecutive months, because each monthly estimate is based on a sample rather than the entire population. To construct confidence intervals, the SE is added to an estimate in order to determine the upper limit of this interval, and then subtracted from the estimate to determine the lower limit. Using this method, the true value will fall within one SE of the estimate approximately 68% of the time, and within two standard errors approximately 95% of the time. For example, if the estimated employment level increases by 20,000 from one month to another and the associated SE is 29,000, the true value of the employment change has a 68% chance of falling between -9,000 and +49,000. Because such a confidence interval includes zero, the 20,000 change would not be considered statistically significant. However, if the increase is 30,000, the confidence interval would be +1,000 to +59,000, and the 30,000 increase would be considered statistically significant. (Note that 30,000 is above the SE of 29,000, and that the confidence interval does not include zero.) Similarly, if the estimated employment declines by 30,000, then the true value of the decline would fall between -59,000 and -1,000. See Section 7 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (opens new window) for more information. The standard errors presented in this table are the average of standard errors for 12 previous months. They are updated twice a year The standard error (SE) for the year-over-year change is an indicator of the variability associated with the estimate of the change between a given month in a given year and the same month of the previous year, because each month's estimate is based on a sample rather than the entire population. The SE can be used to construct confidence intervals: it can be added to an estimate in order to determine the upper limit of this interval, and then subtracted from the same estimate to determine the lower limit. Using this method, the true value will fall within one SE of the estimate, approximately 68% of the time, and within two standard errors, approximately 95% of the time. For example, if the estimated employment level increases by 160,000 over 12 months and the associated SE is 55,000, the true value of the change in employment has approximately a 68% chance of falling between +105,000 and +215,000. This change would be considered statistically significant at the 68% level as the confidence interval excludes zero. However, if the increase is 40,000, the interval would be -15,000 to +95,000, and this increase would not be considered statistically significant since the interval includes zero. See Section 7 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (opens new window) for more information. The standard errors presented in this table are the average of standard errors for 12 previous months and are updated twice a year Excluding the territories. Starting in 2006, enhancements to the Labour Force Survey data processing system may have introduced a level shift in some estimates, particularly for less common labour force characteristics. Use caution when comparing estimates before and after 2006. For more information, contact statcan.labour-travail.statcan@statcan.gc.ca

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States Department of Labor and the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Publicly available data files include information on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly wages, by NAICS industry, by county, by ownership sector, for the entire United States. These data are aggregated to annual levels, to higher industry levels (NAICS industry groups, sectors, and supersectors), and to higher geographic levels (national, State, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)). To download and analyze QCEW data, users can begin on the QCEW Databases page. Downloadable data are available in formats such as text and CSV. Data for the QCEW program that are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) are available from 1990 forward, and on a more limited basis from 1975 to 1989. These data provide employment and wage information for arts-related NAICS industries, such as: Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS Code 71) Performing arts and spectator sports Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks Amusements, gambling, and recreation Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS Code 54) Architectural services Graphic design services Photographic services Retail trade (NAICS Code 44-45) Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores Book, periodical, and music stores Art dealers For years 1975-2000, data for the QCEW program provide employment and wage information for arts-related industries are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. These arts-related SIC industries include the following: Book stores (SIC 5942) Commercial photography (SIC Code 7335) Commercial art and graphic design (SIC Code 7336) Museums, Botanical, Zoological Gardens (SIC Code 84) Dance studios, schools, and halls (SIC Code 7911) Theatrical producers and services (SIC Code 7922) Sports clubs, managers, & promoters (SIC Code 7941) Motion Picture Services (SIC Code 78) The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by 6-digit NAICS industry at the national, state, and county levels. At the national level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data for almost every NAICS industry. At the State and area level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data down to the 6-digit NAICS industry level, if disclosure restrictions are met. Employment data under the QCEW program represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period including the 12th of the month. Excluded are members of the armed forces, the self-employed, proprietors, domestic workers, unpaid family workers, and railroad workers covered by the railroad unemployment insurance system. Wages represent total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when services were performed. Included in wages are pay for vacation and other paid leave, bonuses, stock options, tips, the cash value of meals and lodging, and in some States, contributions to deferred compensation plans (such as 401(k) plans). The QCEW program does provide partial information on agricultural industries and employees in private households. Data from the QCEW program serve as an important source for many BLS programs. The QCEW data are used as the benchmark source for employment by the Current Employment Statistics program and the Occupational Employment Statistics program. The UI administrative records collected under the QCEW program serve as a sampling frame for BLS establishment surveys. In addition, data from the QCEW program serve as a source to other Federal and State programs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce uses QCEW data as the base for developing the wage and salary component of personal income. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor and the SESAs use QCEW data to administer the employment security program. The QCEW data accurately reflect the ex

Number of employees by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and data type (seasonally adjusted, trend-cycle and unadjusted), last 5 months. Data are also available for the standard error of the estimate, the standard error of the month-to-month change and the standard error of the year-over-year change.

United States - Unemployment Rate - Information Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers was 5.00% in March of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - Information Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers reached a record high of 12.30 in July of 2020 and a record low of 1.40 in April of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - Information Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on April of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Service Occupations (LNU04032218) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about occupation, 16 years +, household survey, services, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, Nonagricultural Private Wage and Salary Workers (LNU04032230) from Jan 2000 to May 2025 about nonagriculture, extraction, oil, mining, salaries, gas, workers, 16 years +, wages, household survey, private, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Level All Industries Government Wage & Salary Workers (LNU03028615) from Jun 1976 to May 2025 about salaries, workers, 16 years +, wages, household survey, government, unemployment, industry, and USA.

United States - Unemployment Rate - Other Services Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers was 3.80% in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - Other Services Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers reached a record high of 23.00 in April of 2020 and a record low of 2.10 in April of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - Other Services Industry, Private Wage and Salary Workers - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

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.

United States - Unemployment Rate All Industries Government Wage & Salary Workers was 1.90% in March of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate All Industries Government Wage & Salary Workers reached a record high of 9.30 in April of 2020 and a record low of 1.20 in April of 2024. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate All Industries Government Wage & Salary Workers - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on May of 2025.