US Unemployment
The BLS household survey showed that the US unemployment rate fell 1.8 percentage points in August 2020 to 8.4%. The unemployment rate peaked in April 2020 at 14.7% and is now 6.3 percentage points lower.
| Unemployment Rate | August 2020 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 8.4% | -1.8 | +4.7 |
Unemployment Rate
Note: Recessions shown in gray
US Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in the US peaked in April 2020 at 23,078,000. There are now 9,528,000 fewer people unemployed in the country. US employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | August 2020 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 13,550,000 | -2,788,000 | +7,551,000 |
Unemployed Persons
US Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
National Unemployed Persons |
|---|---|---|
| August 2020 | 8.4% | 13,550,000 |
| July 2020 | 10.2% | 16,338,000 |
| June 2020 | 11.1% | 17,750,000 |
| May 2020 | 13.3% | 20,985,000 |
| April 2020 | 14.7% | 23,078,000 |
| March 2020 | 4.4% | 7,140,000 |
| February 2020 | 3.5% | 5,787,000 |
| January 2020 | 3.6% | 5,892,000 |
| December 2019 | 3.5% | 5,753,000 |
| November 2019 | 3.5% | 5,811,000 |
| October 2019 | 3.6% | 5,857,000 |
| September 2019 | 3.5% | 5,753,000 |
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
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