United States's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) was 4.28% in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 1 percentage points from 5.28% in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 4.28% | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 8.06% | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 5.28% | 2015 |
| Highest | 9.7% | 1982 |
| Lowest | 3.5% | 1969 |
| Average since 2016 | 4.58% | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 5.5% | 1960 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, United States' unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) rose 0.26 percentage points on 2024 (from 4.02% to 4.28%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.32 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.39 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.71 percentage points in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 3% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, United States had the 55th highest value of the 84 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 4.28% | 2025 |
| World | 5.08% | 2022 |
| North America | 4.58% | 2025 |
| High income | 4.5% | 2025 |
Closest to United States in the 2025 ranking
What this measures
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 66 values
| Year | Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.28 |
| 2024 | 4.02 |
| 2023 | 3.64 |
| 2022 | 3.65 |
| 2021 | 5.35 |
| 2020 | 8.06 |
| 2019 | 3.67 |
| 2018 | 3.9 |
| 2017 | 4.36 |
| 2016 | 4.87 |
| 2015 |
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies
- Canada — 6.82% (2025)
More social protection & labor data for United States
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 49.94% (2025)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate) — 50.14% (2025)
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate) — 50.04% (2025)
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) — 54.88% (2025)
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) — 64.85% (2025)
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) — 59.75% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 54.88% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United States's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)?
- 4.28% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is down 1.22 percentage points from 5.5% in 1960. The highest value was 9.7% in 1982 and the lowest 3.5% in 1969.
- How does United States rank?
- 55th highest of 84 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) unusual for United States?
- In 2025, United States' unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) rose 0.26 percentage points on 2024 (from 4.02% to 4.28%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.32 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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