US Unemployment Rate (1948–2026) Aug 3, 2026 Peak Unemployment by Recession Era 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 2020 COVID-19: 14.8% 2020 COVID-19 14.8% 1982–83: 10.8% 1982–83 10.8% 2007–09 Great Recession: 10.0% 2007–09 Great Recession 10.0% 1974–75: 9.0% 1974–75 9.0% 1991–93: 7.8% 1991–93 7.8% 1957–58: 7.4% 1957–58 7.4% 2001 Dot-com: 6.3% 2001 Dot-com 6.3% 1969–70: 5.9% 1969–70 5.9% 1948–49: 5.9% 1948–49 5.9% Peak Unemployment Rate (%) 0 View dataset