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Unemployment rate declines 0.2 percentage point to 5.6 percent in December 2014
January 13, 2015
In December 2014, the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 5.6 percent. Over the year, the unemployment rate decreased by 1.1 percentage points.
Labor force participation rate, employment-population ratio, and unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, January 2005–December 2014
Month
Labor force participation rate
Employment-population ratio
Unemployment rate
Jan 2005
65.8
62.4
5.3
Feb 2005
65.9
62.4
5.4
Mar 2005
65.9
62.4
5.2
Apr 2005
66.1
62.7
5.2
May 2005
66.1
62.8
5.1
Jun 2005
66.1
62.7
5.0
Jul 2005
66.1
62.8
5.0
Aug 2005
66.2
62.9
4.9
Sep 2005
66.1
62.8
5.0
Oct 2005
66.1
62.8
5.0
Nov 2005
66.0
62.7
5.0
Dec 2005
66.0
62.8
4.9
Jan 2006
66.0
62.9
4.7
Feb 2006
66.1
63.0
4.8
Mar 2006
66.2
63.1
4.7
Apr 2006
66.1
63.0
4.7
May 2006
66.1
63.1
4.6
Jun 2006
66.2
63.1
4.6
Jul 2006
66.1
63.0
4.7
Aug 2006
66.2
63.1
4.7
Sep 2006
66.1
63.1
4.5
Oct 2006
66.2
63.3
4.4
Nov 2006
66.3
63.3
4.5
Dec 2006
66.4
63.4
4.4
Jan 2007
66.4
63.3
4.6
Feb 2007
66.3
63.3
4.5
Mar 2007
66.2
63.3
4.4
Apr 2007
65.9
63.0
4.5
May 2007
66.0
63.0
4.4
Jun 2007
66.0
63.0
4.6
Jul 2007
66.0
62.9
4.7
Aug 2007
65.8
62.7
4.6
Sep 2007
66.0
62.9
4.7
Oct 2007
65.8
62.7
4.7
Nov 2007
66.0
62.9
4.7
Dec 2007
66.0
62.7
5.0
Jan 2008
66.2
62.9
5.0
Feb 2008
66.0
62.8
4.9
Mar 2008
66.1
62.7
5.1
Apr 2008
65.9
62.7
5.0
May 2008
66.1
62.5
5.4
Jun 2008
66.1
62.4
5.6
Jul 2008
66.1
62.2
5.8
Aug 2008
66.1
62.0
6.1
Sep 2008
66.0
61.9
6.1
Oct 2008
66.0
61.7
6.5
Nov 2008
65.9
61.4
6.8
Dec 2008
65.8
61.0
7.3
Jan 2009
65.7
60.6
7.8
Feb 2009
65.8
60.3
8.3
Mar 2009
65.6
59.9
8.7
Apr 2009
65.7
59.8
9.0
May 2009
65.7
59.6
9.4
Jun 2009
65.7
59.4
9.5
Jul 2009
65.5
59.3
9.5
Aug 2009
65.4
59.1
9.6
Sep 2009
65.1
58.7
9.8
Oct 2009
65.0
58.5
10.0
Nov 2009
65.0
58.6
9.9
Dec 2009
64.6
58.3
9.9
Jan 2010
64.8
58.5
9.8
Feb 2010
64.9
58.5
9.8
Mar 2010
64.9
58.5
9.9
Apr 2010
65.2
58.7
9.9
May 2010
64.9
58.6
9.6
Jun 2010
64.6
58.5
9.4
Jul 2010
64.6
58.5
9.4
Aug 2010
64.7
58.6
9.5
Sep 2010
64.6
58.5
9.5
Oct 2010
64.4
58.3
9.4
Nov 2010
64.6
58.2
9.8
Dec 2010
64.3
58.3
9.3
Jan 2011
64.2
58.3
9.2
Feb 2011
64.2
58.4
9.0
Mar 2011
64.2
58.4
9.0
Apr 2011
64.2
58.4
9.1
May 2011
64.1
58.4
9.0
Jun 2011
64.0
58.2
9.1
Jul 2011
64.0
58.2
9.0
Aug 2011
64.1
58.3
9.0
Sep 2011
64.2
58.4
9.0
Oct 2011
64.1
58.4
8.8
Nov 2011
64.1
58.6
8.6
Dec 2011
64.0
58.6
8.5
Jan 2012
63.7
58.5
8.3
Feb 2012
63.8
58.5
8.3
Mar 2012
63.8
58.6
8.2
Apr 2012
63.7
58.5
8.2
May 2012
63.8
58.5
8.2
Jun 2012
63.8
58.6
8.2
Jul 2012
63.7
58.5
8.2
Aug 2012
63.5
58.4
8.0
Sep 2012
63.6
58.6
7.8
Oct 2012
63.7
58.8
7.8
Nov 2012
63.6
58.7
7.7
Dec 2012
63.7
58.6
7.9
Jan 2013
63.7
58.6
8.0
Feb 2013
63.5
58.6
7.7
Mar 2013
63.3
58.5
7.5
Apr 2013
63.4
58.6
7.6
May 2013
63.4
58.6
7.5
Jun 2013
63.4
58.7
7.5
Jul 2013
63.3
58.7
7.3
Aug 2013
63.2
58.7
7.2
Sep 2013
63.2
58.6
7.2
Oct 2013
62.8
58.2
7.2
Nov 2013
63.0
58.6
7.0
Dec 2013
62.8
58.6
6.7
Jan 2014
63.0
58.8
6.6
Feb 2014
63.0
58.8
6.7
Mar 2014
63.2
59.0
6.6
Apr 2014
62.8
58.9
6.2
May 2014
62.8
58.9
6.3
Jun 2014
62.8
59.0
6.1
Jul 2014
62.9
59.0
6.2
Aug 2014
62.9
59.0
6.1
Sep 2014
62.7
59.0
5.9
Oct 2014
62.8
59.2
5.7
Nov 2014
62.9
59.2
5.8
Dec 2014
62.7
59.2
5.6
The civilian labor force participation rate edged down by 0.2 percentage point to 62.7 percent in December. Since April, the participation rate has stayed between 62.7 and 62.9 percent.
In December, the employment–population ratio—the employed as a percentage of the population—was 59.2 percent for the third straight month. The employment–population ratio was up by 0.6 percentage point over the year.
United States Department of Labor
