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Number of unemployed at 6.1 million in January 2024
February 08, 2024
In January 2024, the unemployment rate was 3.7 percent for the third month in a row. The rate has been within the range of 3.4 percent and 3.8 percent since February 2022. The number of unemployed people was little changed at 6.1 million in January 2024. Among the unemployed, 2.2 million, or 34.7 percent, were job losers not on a temporary layoff.
Reasons for unemployment, January 2019–January 2024
Month
New entrants
Job leavers
Reentrants
Job losers, not on temporary layoff
Job losers, on temporary layoff
Percent
Level
Percent
Level
Percent
Level
Percent
Level
Percent
Level
Jan 2019
9.4
614,000
12.4
807,000
30.2
1,966,000
33.2
2,162,000
14.8
961,000
Feb 2019
10.1
624,000
13.6
836,000
30.6
1,885,000
33.0
2,029,000
12.7
783,000
Mar 2019
10.1
624,000
12.5
775,000
32.1
1,988,000
31.7
1,968,000
13.6
843,000
Apr 2019
9.6
578,000
12.0
722,000
32.4
1,949,000
33.3
2,004,000
12.7
761,000
May 2019
9.8
585,000
13.9
827,000
31.3
1,864,000
30.3
1,807,000
14.6
872,000
Jun 2019
8.6
509,000
15.2
897,000
30.7
1,815,000
32.3
1,911,000
13.2
778,000
Jul 2019
9.6
578,000
13.9
841,000
29.4
1,777,000
32.8
1,981,000
14.4
871,000
Aug 2019
9.7
575,000
13.4
794,000
29.5
1,754,000
33.7
2,003,000
13.7
811,000
Sep 2019
11.3
646,000
14.6
831,000
29.0
1,648,000
31.7
1,802,000
13.4
764,000
Oct 2019
10.3
610,000
14.1
835,000
28.9
1,707,000
32.6
1,926,000
14.0
825,000
Nov 2019
9.7
567,000
13.2
769,000
29.0
1,692,000
34.3
2,002,000
13.7
799,000
Dec 2019
9.9
575,000
14.3
832,000
28.7
1,676,000
33.3
1,945,000
13.8
805,000
Jan 2020
9.5
562,000
14.1
832,000
31.9
1,880,000
33.4
1,968,000
11.0
646,000
Feb 2020
8.9
515,000
13.2
762,000
31.5
1,816,000
33.1
1,907,000
13.3
765,000
Mar 2020
7.6
547,000
9.8
707,000
24.8
1,786,000
29.5
2,125,000
28.2
2,032,000
Apr 2020
1.6
374,000
2.4
548,000
6.4
1,479,000
11.3
2,600,000
78.3
18,073,000
May 2020
2.5
533,000
2.6
548,000
7.9
1,653,000
13.9
2,921,000
73.0
15,309,000
Jun 2020
3.2
572,000
3.2
562,000
13.1
2,301,000
20.7
3,644,000
59.8
10,523,000
Jul 2020
3.3
543,000
3.6
589,000
14.1
2,306,000
22.4
3,681,000
56.6
9,277,000
Aug 2020
4.1
548,000
4.6
617,000
15.2
2,038,000
30.5
4,096,000
45.7
6,148,000
Sep 2020
4.3
537,000
6.5
806,000
16.6
2,076,000
35.7
4,459,000
36.9
4,611,000
Oct 2020
4.7
518,000
7.0
765,000
18.1
1,993,000
40.8
4,493,000
29.4
3,231,000
Nov 2020
5.2
551,000
6.5
689,000
18.5
1,970,000
43.9
4,678,000
26.0
2,778,000
Dec 2020
4.7
510,000
7.0
757,000
20.9
2,252,000
39.0
4,211,000
28.3
3,058,000
Jan 2021
5.5
561,000
6.4
652,000
19.7
2,020,000
41.6
4,265,000
26.8
2,751,000
Feb 2021
5.9
591,000
7.0
703,000
21.5
2,157,000
43.2
4,332,000
22.4
2,241,000
Mar 2021
5.4
522,000
7.9
767,000
23.6
2,300,000
42.6
4,154,000
20.6
2,010,000
Apr 2021
5.5
544,000
8.3
817,000
21.5
2,120,000
43.0
4,240,000
21.7
2,140,000
May 2021
5.6
519,000
8.5
788,000
23.6
2,194,000
42.5
3,938,000
19.8
1,838,000
Jun 2021
5.3
497,000
10.1
947,000
24.4
2,297,000
42.0
3,950,000
18.3
1,717,000
Jul 2021
5.6
490,000
10.6
927,000
26.3
2,301,000
42.6
3,727,000
14.8
1,294,000
Aug 2021
6.2
511,000
10.1
830,000
29.5
2,423,000
39.2
3,217,000
14.9
1,225,000
Sep 2021
6.7
511,000
10.4
789,000
29.3
2,222,000
38.9
2,948,000
14.7
1,116,000
Oct 2021
7.1
514,000
11.7
845,000
29.9
2,163,000
36.8
2,661,000
14.4
1,041,000
Nov 2021
6.5
441,000
12.4
839,000
31.7
2,140,000
36.8
2,481,000
12.5
843,000
Dec 2021
7.8
496,000
11.5
725,000
32.3
2,042,000
36.1
2,283,000
12.3
777,000
Jan 2022
6.6
438,000
14.4
950,000
29.6
1,961,000
34.4
2,274,000
15.0
993,000
Feb 2022
6.8
428,000
15.1
959,000
30.8
1,951,000
33.7
2,136,000
13.5
857,000
Mar 2022
8.0
481,000
13.0
786,000
33.8
2,035,000
33.4
2,015,000
11.8
710,000
Apr 2022
8.2
502,000
13.0
793,000
30.5
1,856,000
33.1
2,011,000
15.1
921,000
May 2022
8.9
531,000
12.9
768,000
32.8
1,960,000
31.7
1,891,000
13.8
822,000
Jun 2022
8.0
472,000
14.2
836,000
34.3
2,020,000
31.0
1,827,000
12.6
743,000
Jul 2022
8.2
477,000
14.5
843,000
31.3
1,821,000
30.8
1,789,000
15.1
879,000
Aug 2022
7.5
447,000
15.2
902,000
30.6
1,817,000
33.0
1,956,000
13.6
808,000
Sep 2022
8.0
454,000
16.0
905,000
31.6
1,795,000
30.4
1,723,000
14.0
796,000
Oct 2022
8.3
492,000
14.5
863,000
31.4
1,863,000
31.3
1,855,000
14.5
862,000
Nov 2022
9.4
556,000
14.0
829,000
30.4
1,799,000
33.0
1,952,000
13.2
778,000
Dec 2022
8.8
502,000
14.4
824,000
31.3
1,786,000
31.7
1,808,000
13.8
788,000
Jan 2023
9.1
526,000
15.3
883,000
31.2
1,799,000
31.2
1,804,000
13.2
763,000
Feb 2023
8.7
521,000
14.8
888,000
30.6
1,844,000
32.5
1,959,000
13.4
807,000
Mar 2023
8.6
506,000
14.2
841,000
28.5
1,683,000
35.6
2,104,000
13.2
781,000
Apr 2023
9.0
519,000
13.6
786,000
30.9
1,778,000
33.3
1,916,000
13.2
760,000
May 2023
8.6
527,000
12.4
764,000
30.1
1,851,000
36.1
2,218,000
12.7
782,000
Jun 2023
9.4
559,000
13.4
796,000
30.0
1,776,000
33.9
2,009,000
13.2
781,000
Jul 2023
9.0
534,000
14.3
854,000
31.3
1,868,000
33.2
1,980,000
12.1
723,000
Aug 2023
9.4
592,000
12.8
804,000
30.8
1,931,000
34.0
2,132,000
13.0
813,000
Sep 2023
9.3
586,000
12.7
797,000
32.3
2,024,000
32.8
2,056,000
13.0
813,000
Oct 2023
9.4
603,000
12.5
801,000
29.2
1,869,000
34.7
2,217,000
14.1
904,000
Nov 2023
9.3
582,000
13.2
821,000
28.4
1,771,000
34.8
2,169,000
14.3
889,000
Dec 2023
9.8
609,000
13.4
833,000
27.9
1,741,000
34.3
2,140,000
14.7
917,000
Jan 2024
8.9
550,000
12.8
794,000
29.5
1,834,000
34.7
2,151,000
14.1
876,000
Data are seasonally adjusted.
The number of job losers who were on a temporary layoff was 876,000 in January 2024, or 14.1 percent of the total unemployed.
At 794,000 in January 2024, people that left their job voluntarily accounted for 12.8 percent of the unemployed compared to 15.3 percent one year prior.
Reentrants to the labor force made up 29.5 percent of the unemployed in January 2024, while new entrants accounted for 8.9 percent.
People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. There are four unemployment categories: job losers, job leavers, reentrants, and new entrants. Job losers consists of two groups, people on temporary layoff and not on temporary layoff. Job leavers include those who quit or voluntarily ended their jobs and immediately began searching for a new job. Reentrants previously worked but were out of the labor force before they began their job search. New entrants are looking for their first job and have no previous work experience.
United States Department of Labor
