Monthly unemployment rates in United States
United States: Monthly unemployment rates was 4.02 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup in 2024. ▬ Flat
Monthly unemployment rates in United States, 1955–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup.
Analysis
In 2024, monthly unemployment rates in United States stood at 4.02 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup.
That represents a change of up 10.6% on the previous year and down 34.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, monthly unemployment rates in United States peaked at 9.71 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup in 1982 and was at its lowest, 3.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup, in 1969.
United States ranks 26th of 32 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Monthly unemployment rates in United States, year by year
| Year | Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 4.38 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | — |
| 1956 | 4.14 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -5.5% |
| 1957 | 4.26 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +2.8% |
| 1958 | 6.8 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +59.7% |
| 1959 | 5.47 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -19.5% |
| 1960 | 5.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 1961 | 6.68 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +21.3% |
| 1962 | 5.54 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -17.1% |
| 1963 | 5.67 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 5.19 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.4% |
| 1965 | 4.53 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -12.8% |
| 1966 | 3.78 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -16.4% |
| 1967 | 3.84 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 3.58 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -6.7% |
| 1969 | 3.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -2.1% |
| 1970 | 4.93 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +40.6% |
| 1971 | 5.96 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +20.8% |
| 1972 | 5.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -5.7% |
| 1973 | 4.89 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -12.9% |
| 1974 | 5.59 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +14.3% |
| 1975 | 8.47 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +51.4% |
| 1976 | 7.72 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.9% |
| 1977 | 7.07 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.4% |
| 1978 | 6.07 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -14.2% |
| 1979 | 5.83 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 7.14 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +22.4% |
| 1981 | 7.6 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 9.71 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +27.7% |
| 1983 | 9.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 7.53 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -21.8% |
| 1985 | 7.19 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -4.4% |
| 1986 | 6.99 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 6.19 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -11.4% |
| 1988 | 5.49 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -11.3% |
| 1989 | 5.27 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 5.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +6.6% |
| 1991 | 6.82 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +21.4% |
| 1992 | 7.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +10.1% |
| 1993 | 6.9 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.1% |
| 1994 | 6.08 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -11.8% |
| 1995 | 5.61 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -7.8% |
| 1996 | 5.42 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 4.95 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.6% |
| 1998 | 4.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.9% |
| 1999 | 4.22 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 3.99 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 4.73 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +18.6% |
| 2002 | 5.78 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +22.0% |
| 2003 | 5.99 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 5.53 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 5.07 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.4% |
| 2006 | 4.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 4.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5.78 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +25.1% |
| 2009 | 9.27 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +60.5% |
| 2010 | 9.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 8.95 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -6.9% |
| 2012 | 8.07 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -9.9% |
| 2013 | 7.38 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.6% |
| 2014 | 6.17 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -16.4% |
| 2015 | 5.29 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -14.2% |
| 2016 | 4.87 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 4.35 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 3.9 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -10.3% |
| 2019 | 3.67 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 8.09 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +120.7% |
| 2021 | 5.37 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -33.7% |
| 2022 | 3.65 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -32.0% |
| 2023 | 3.63 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 4.02 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | +10.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 4.02 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.68 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup, 71% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Monthly unemployment rates in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +120.7% | 3.67 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 8.09 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup |
| 1958 | +59.7% | 4.26 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 6.8 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup |
| 2009 | +60.5% | 5.78 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 9.27 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup |
| 1975 | +51.4% | 5.59 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 8.47 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.01 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 4.14 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 6.8 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 5 |
| 1960s | 4.78 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 3.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 6.68 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.21 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 4.89 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 8.47 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.27 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 5.27 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 9.71 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.76 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 4.22 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 7.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.54 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 3.99 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 9.27 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.23 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 3.67 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 9.62 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.95 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 3.63 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 8.09 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 23 Hungary 4.38 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup compare
- 24 Iceland 4.35 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup compare
- 25 Australia 4.2 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup compare
- 27 Germany 3.77 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup compare
- 28 Bulgaria 3.52 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup compare
- 29 Israel 3 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup compare
More work & labour data for United States
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 113,208 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.4 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.05 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 159,991 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 141,322 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.55 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.27 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is monthly unemployment rates in United States?
- Monthly unemployment rates in United States was 4.02 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest monthly unemployment rates recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 9.71 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup in 1982.
- What is the lowest monthly unemployment rates recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.51 Percentage of labour force in the same subgroup in 1969.
- How does United States rank for monthly unemployment rates?
- United States ranks 26th out of 32 countries with data for 2024.
- Is monthly unemployment rates rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Monthly unemployment rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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. Chile, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom publish Labour Force Survey (LFS) data using a rolling quarter methodology. The OECD treats the middle month of the rolling quarter as the reference month. As a result, the publication of monthly LFS data for these countries may be delayed by one month or more relative to the OECD reference month. 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.