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7.8 percent of people who worked or looked for work experienced unemployment in 2018
December 09, 2019
The number of people who experienced some unemployment during 2018 declined by 1.3 million to 13.2 million. Their share of those who worked or looked for work during the year fell by 0.8 percentage point to 7.8 percent in 2018. That was the lowest rate in the history of the series. In 2018, 168.6 million people worked or looked for work at some time during the year, an increase of 1.1 million from 2017.
Number of unemployed at some time during the year as a percent of those who worked or looked for work during the year, 1958-2018
Year
Total
Men
Women
Work-experience unemployment rate
Number who worked or looked for work during the year
Number of unemployed at some time during the year
Work-experience unemployment rate
Number who worked or looked for work during the year
Number of unemployed at some time during the year
Work-experience unemployment rate
Number who worked or looked for work during the year
Number of unemployed at some time during the year
1958
17.9%
78,787,000
14,120,000
19.6%
49,158,000
9,645,000
15.1%
29,628,000
4,474,000
1959
15.3
79,494,000
12,195,000
16.5
49,523,000
8,163,000
13.5
29,971,000
4,032,000
1960
17.2
82,204,000
14,151,000
18.4
50,686,000
9,318,000
15.3
31,518,000
4,833,000
1961
18.4
81,963,000
15,096,000
19.4
50,610,000
9,846,000
16.7
31,353,000
5,250,000
1962
18.2
83,944,000
15,256,000
18.8
51,412,000
9,686,000
17.1
32,532,000
5,570,000
1963
16.7
85,038,000
14,211,000
17.2
51,817,000
8,923,000
15.9
33,221,000
5,288,000
1964
16.2
86,837,000
14,052,000
16.3
52,645,000
8,563,000
16.1
34,192,000
5,489,000
1965
14.1
87,591,000
12,334,000
14.0
52,958,000
7,428,000
14.2
34,633,000
4,906,000
1966
13.0
87,540,000
11,387,000
12.5
52,103,000
6,503,000
13.8
35,437,000
4,884,000
1967
12.9
89,432,000
11,564,000
12.6
52,788,000
6,655,000
13.4
36,644,000
4,909,000
1968
12.4
91,480,000
11,332,000
11.7
53,677,000
6,263,000
13.4
37,803,000
5,069,000
1969
12.5
93,640,000
11,744,000
12.3
54,755,000
6,709,000
12.9
38,885,000
5,035,000
1970
15.3
95,576,000
14,615,000
15.5
55,714,000
8,642,000
15.0
39,862,000
5,973,000
1971
16.3
97,652,000
15,950,000
16.4
57,091,000
9,372,000
16.2
40,561,000
6,579,000
1972
15.5
99,730,000
15,436,000
15.3
58,170,000
8,881,000
15.8
41,559,000
6,555,000
1973
14.3
102,747,000
14,697,000
13.5
59,355,000
8,032,000
15.4
43,392,000
6,665,000
1974
17.9
104,769,000
18,785,000
17.3
60,114,000
10,421,000
18.7
44,655,000
8,364,000
1975
20.2
105,843,000
21,402,000
20.0
60,413,000
12,101,000
20.5
45,430,000
9,302,000
1976
19.1
108,783,000
20,795,000
18.8
61,556,000
11,587,000
19.5
47,225,000
9,208,000
1977
17.9
111,531,000
19,910,000
17.5
62,674,000
10,949,000
18.3
48,858,000
8,960,000
1978
15.9
114,464,000
18,185,000
15.4
63,804,000
9,822,000
16.5
50,660,000
8,363,000
1979
15.8
116,983,000
18,468,000
15.5
64,739,000
10,042,000
16.1
52,244,000
8,426,000
1980
18.1
118,348,000
21,410,000
18.5
65,277,000
12,072,000
17.6
53,071,000
9,338,000
1981
19.5
119,658,000
23,382,000
20.0
65,950,000
13,175,000
19.0
53,708,000
10,207,000
1982
22.0
120,235,000
26,493,000
23.3
66,160,000
15,441,000
20.4
54,074,000
11,052,000
1983
19.6
121,503,000
23,762,000
21.0
66,350,000
13,919,000
17.8
55,153,000
9,842,000
1984
17.4
124,117,000
21,535,000
18.1
67,234,000
12,174,000
16.5
56,883,000
9,361,000
1985
16.7
125,890,000
20,984,000
17.2
68,270,000
11,754,000
16.0
57,620,000
9,230,000
1986
16.2
128,143,000
20,703,000
16.9
69,225,000
11,688,000
15.3
58,918,000
9,015,000
1987
14.1
130,353,000
18,399,000
15.0
69,995,000
10,504,000
13.1
60,357,000
7,895,000
1988
12.9
132,185,000
17,096,000
13.7
70,738,000
9,696,000
12.0
61,447,000
7,400,000
1989
12.9
133,444,000
17,257,000
13.7
71,475,000
9,778,000
12.1
61,970,000
7,480,000
1990
14.7
134,436,000
19,786,000
15.7
71,959,000
11,294,000
13.6
62,477,000
8,492,000
1991
15.7
134,985,000
21,256,000
17.5
72,109,000
12,625,000
13.7
62,876,000
8,631,000
1992
15.8
135,822,000
21,441,000
17.7
72,607,000
12,833,000
13.6
63,214,000
8,607,000
1993
14.8
138,895,000
20,516,000
15.9
73,689,000
11,712,000
13.5
65,206,000
8,804,000
1994
13.5
140,441,000
18,944,000
14.2
74,418,000
10,565,000
12.7
66,023,000
8,379,000
1995
12.8
141,659,000
18,063,000
13.3
74,982,000
9,992,000
12.1
66,677,000
8,070,000
1996
11.7
143,708,000
16,786,000
12.0
76,035,000
9,153,000
11.3
67,673,000
7,632,000
1997
10.8
145,323,000
15,623,000
11.2
76,704,000
8,594,000
10.2
68,619,000
7,029,000
1998
9.6
146,570,000
14,042,000
9.5
77,047,000
7,282,000
9.7
69,523,000
6,760,000
1999
8.8
149,042,000
13,050,000
9.0
78,236,000
7,073,000
8.4
70,806,000
5,976,000
2000
8.6
152,417,000
13,041,000
9.0
80,287,000
7,199,000
8.1
72,130,000
5,842,000
2001
10.4
152,300,000
15,834,000
11.1
80,304,000
8,919,000
9.6
71,996,000
6,915,000
2002
11.0
153,411,000
16,802,000
11.9
80,933,000
9,603,000
9.9
72,478,000
7,199,000
2003
10.7
153,448,000
16,444,000
11.5
81,023,000
9,321,000
9.8
72,425,000
7,122,000
2004
9.7
154,796,000
15,077,000
10.1
81,759,000
8,249,000
9.3
73,037,000
6,828,000
2005
9.3
156,744,000
14,531,000
9.7
83,230,000
8,090,000
8.8
73,514,000
6,441,000
2006
9.1
158,563,000
14,424,000
9.6
84,100,000
8,097,000
8.5
74,463,000
6,326,000
2007
9.5
159,750,000
15,117,000
10.3
84,614,000
8,685,000
8.6
75,136,000
6,432,000
2008
13.2
160,658,000
21,205,000
14.5
84,781,000
12,306,000
11.7
75,878,000
8,899,000
2009
16.4
159,776,000
26,135,000
18.8
84,396,000
15,864,000
13.6
75,380,000
10,271,000
2010
15.9
158,882,000
25,241,000
17.7
84,000,000
14,880,000
13.8
74,882,000
10,360,000
2011
14.9
159,693,000
23,739,000
15.8
83,715,000
13,262,000
13.8
75,978,000
10,477,000
2012
13.9
161,707,000
22,423,000
14.5
84,999,000
12,352,000
13.1
76,708,000
10,071,000
2013
12.9
161,813,000
20,880,000
13.5
85,032,000
11,521,000
12.2
76,781,000
9,359,000
2014
10.9
162,757,000
17,708,000
11.4
85,602,000
9,784,000
10.3
77,156,000
7,924,000
2015
10.2
165,495,000
16,925,000
10.4
87,149,000
9,063,000
10.0
78,347,000
7,862,000
2016
9.4
166,221,000
15,570,000
9.5
87,368,000
8,300,000
9.2
78,853,000
7,270,000
2017
8.6
167,538,000
14,461,000
9.0
88,360,000
7,921,000
8.3
79,177,000
6,540,000
2018
7.8
168,617,000
13,171,000
8.2
88,364,000
7,210,000
7.4
80,253,000
5,962,000
Notes: 1. The work experience unemployment rate is the number of persons who experienced unemployment during the calendar year as a percent of all persons who worked or looked for work during the calendar year. 2. Data for 1966 forward refer to persons 16 years and over; 14 years and over for prior years.
Among men who worked or looked for work in 2018, 8.2 percent experienced unemployment. They continued to have a higher rate than women, 7.4 percent. The rates for men and women were the lowest in the history of both series. From 2017 to 2018, the rate for men decreased by 0.8 percentage point, compared with a decrease of 0.9 percentage point for women.
United States Department of Labor
