Unemployment Rate
US Unemployment Rate — 75-Year Historical Chart
4.1%
▼ 4.65% YoYJul 2026
All-Time High
14.8%
All-Time Low
2.5%
Data Since
1948
Source: FRED / BLSShaded = NBER recessions
The US civilian unemployment rate — the percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking work. Peaked above 10% during the Great Recession (2009) and briefly hit 14.7% during the COVID-19 shock in April 2020.