Where can I find the unemployment rate for previous years?
The annual average unemployment rate for 1948 to the present is displayed below.
Other major labor force series are shown as annual averages in the historical labor force tables (HTML or PDF).
Annual averages, and data from past months, can also be retrieved easily for any series in the monthly Employment Situation news release by using the menus displayed at www.bls.gov/cps/cpsatabs.htm. Please note that annual averages are only available for unadjusted (not seasonally adjusted) data.
Annual average unemployment rate, civilian labor force 16 years and over
(percent)
| Year |
Annual |
| 1948 |
3.8 |
| 1949 |
5.9 |
| 1950 |
5.3 |
| 1951 |
3.3 |
| 1952 |
3.0 |
| 1953 |
2.9 |
| 1954 |
5.5 |
| 1955 |
4.4 |
| 1956 |
4.1 |
| 1957 |
4.3 |
| 1958 |
6.8 |
| 1959 |
5.5 |
| 1960 |
5.5 |
| 1961 |
6.7 |
| 1962 |
5.5 |
| 1963 |
5.7 |
| 1964 |
5.2 |
| 1965 |
4.5 |
| 1966 |
3.8 |
| 1967 |
3.8 |
| 1968 |
3.6 |
| 1969 |
3.5 |
| 1970 |
4.9 |
| 1971 |
5.9 |
| 1972 |
5.6 |
| 1973 |
4.9 |
| 1974 |
5.6 |
| 1975 |
8.5 |
| 1976 |
7.7 |
| 1977 |
7.1 |
| 1978 |
6.1 |
| 1979 |
5.8 |
| 1980 |
7.1 |
| 1981 |
7.6 |
| 1982 |
9.7 |
| 1983 |
9.6 |
| 1984 |
7.5 |
| 1985 |
7.2 |
| 1986 |
7.0 |
| 1987 |
6.2 |
| 1988 |
5.5 |
| 1989 |
5.3 |
| 1990 |
5.6 |
| 1991 |
6.8 |
| 1992 |
7.5 |
| 1993 |
6.9 |
| 1994 |
6.1 |
| 1995 |
5.6 |
| 1996 |
5.4 |
| 1997 |
4.9 |
| 1998 |
4.5 |
| 1999 |
4.2 |
| 2000 |
4.0 |
| 2001 |
4.7 |
| 2002 |
5.8 |
| 2003 |
6.0 |
| 2004 |
5.5 |
| 2005 |
5.1 |
| 2006 |
4.6 |
| 2007 |
4.6 |
| 2008 |
5.8
|
| 2009 |
9.3
|
| 2010 |
9.6 |
| 2011 |
8.9 |
Last Modified Date: March 9, 2012
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