Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States
United States: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 4.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States is 4.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and down 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States peaked at 9.7% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 1969.
United States ranks 119th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.5% | — |
| 1961 | 6.7% | +21.8% |
| 1962 | 5.5% | -17.9% |
| 1963 | 5.7% | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 5.2% | -8.8% |
| 1965 | 4.5% | -13.5% |
| 1966 | 3.8% | -15.6% |
| 1967 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 3.6% | -5.3% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 4.9% | +40.0% |
| 1971 | 5.9% | +20.4% |
| 1972 | 5.6% | -5.1% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | -12.5% |
| 1974 | 5.6% | +14.3% |
| 1975 | 8.5% | +51.8% |
| 1976 | 7.7% | -9.4% |
| 1977 | 7.1% | -7.8% |
| 1978 | 6.1% | -14.1% |
| 1979 | 5.8% | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 7.1% | +22.4% |
| 1981 | 7.6% | +7.0% |
| 1982 | 9.7% | +27.6% |
| 1983 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 7.5% | -21.9% |
| 1985 | 7.2% | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 7.0% | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 6.2% | -11.4% |
| 1988 | 5.5% | -11.3% |
| 1989 | 5.3% | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | +5.7% |
| 1991 | 6.8% | +21.4% |
| 1992 | 7.5% | +10.3% |
| 1993 | 6.9% | -8.0% |
| 1994 | 6.1% | -11.3% |
| 1995 | 5.7% | -7.7% |
| 1996 | 5.5% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | -9.8% |
| 1999 | 4.2% | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | +18.5% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | +22.2% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | -9.1% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 5.8% | +25.1% |
| 2009 | 9.3% | +60.0% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 8.1% | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 7.4% | -8.6% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | -16.4% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | -7.8% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | -10.5% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 8.1% | +119.5% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | -33.6% |
| 2022 | 3.6% | -31.8% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 4.0% | +10.6% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | +6.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 4.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 87% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates 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 | +119.5% | 3.7% | 8.1% |
| 2009 | +60.0% | 5.8% | 9.3% |
| 1975 | +51.8% | 5.6% | 8.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.8% | 3.5% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.2% | 4.9% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.3% | 5.3% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 4.2% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 4.0% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 3.7% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 3.6% | 8.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 117 Peru 4.3% compare
- 118 Sri Lanka 4.3% compare
- 120 Cayman Islands 4.2% compare
- 121 Australia 4.2% compare
- 122 Faroe Islands 4.0% compare
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in United States was 4.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 1982.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 1969.
- How does United States rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- United States ranks 119th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.