US Unemployment Rate (1948–2026) Aug 3, 2026 Recovery Trajectories: COVID-19 vs. Great Recession 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% +0mo +6mo +12mo +18mo +24mo +30mo +36mo +42mo +48mo Months Since Peak Unemployment Rate (%) COVID: Month +0 → 14.8% COVID: Month +6 → 6.9% COVID: Month +12 → 6.1% COVID: Month +18 → 4.5% COVID: Month +24 → 3.7% COVID: Month +30 → 3.6% COVID: Month +36 → 3.4% COVID: Month +42 → 3.9% Great Recession: Month +0 → 10.0% Great Recession: Month +6 → 9.9% Great Recession: Month +12 → 9.4% Great Recession: Month +18 → 9.1% Great Recession: Month +24 → 8.8% Great Recession: Month +30 → 8.2% Great Recession: Month +36 → 7.8% Great Recession: Month +42 → 7.6% COVID below 5% (17 mo) COVID-19 (peak: Apr 2020, 14.8%) Great Recession (peak: Oct 2009, 10.0%) 0 View dataset