United States Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
United States's unemployment rate stood at 4.20% in 2025, a rise of +0.17pp from 2024. The IMF projects 4.18% by 2025. United States ranked 69th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030* IMF | 3.73% | - | - |
| 2029* IMF | 3.82% | - | - |
| 2028* IMF | 3.92% | - | - |
| 2027* IMF | 3.99% | - | - |
| 2026* IMF | 4.12% | - | - |
| 2025* IMF | 4.18% | - | - |
| 2025 | 4.20% | +0.17pp | #69 |
| 2024 | 4.02% | +0.39pp | #72 |
| 2023 | 3.64% | −0.00pp | #66 |
| 2022 | 3.65% | −1.71pp | #56 |
| 2021 | 5.35% | −2.75pp | #83 |
| 2020 | 8.06% | +4.38pp | #122 |
| 2019 | 3.67% | −0.22pp | #56 |
| 2018 | 3.90% | −0.46pp | #58 |
| 2017 | 4.36% | −0.52pp | #66 |
| 2016 | 4.87% | −0.41pp | #73 |
| 2015 | 5.28% | −0.88pp | #80 |
| 2014 | 6.17% | −1.19pp | #93 |
| 2013 | 7.38% | −0.70pp | #108 |
| 2012 | 8.07% | −0.86pp | #118 |
| 2011 | 8.95% | −0.66pp | #128 |
Analysis
United States's unemployment rate was 4.20% in 2025, a rise of +0.17pp from 2024. IMF projects 4.18% by 2025.
Recent Labor Department data indicates a softening American labor market, with job openings falling to 6.9 million in February and weak hiring activity. This trend, coupled with Fed Chair Jerome Powell's acknowledgment of AI-related job loss fears, suggests potential future
Frequently Asked Questions
United States's unemployment rate was 4.20% in 2025. Ranked 69th globally. This represents a 4.1% increase from the previous year.
United States's unemployment rate peaked at 9.71% in 1982.
The lowest unemployment rate in United States was 3.64% in 2023.
United States ranks 69th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
United States's unemployment rate is projected to reach 4.18% by 2025 based on IMF projection.
The unemployment rate of United States in 2025 was 4.20%. This ranks 69th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_united-states_unemployment-rate,
title = {United States Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/united-states/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}