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Unemployment rate 2.5 percent for college grads, 7.7 percent for high school dropouts, January 2017
February 07, 2017
The unemployment rate in January 2017 was 4.8 percent, little changed from the rates in December 2016 or January 2016. Among people age 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or more education, the unemployment rate was 2.5 percent in January 2017, the same as a year earlier.
Unemployment rate by educational attainment, age 25 and over, seasonally adjusted
Month
Educational attainment
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college
Some college or associate degree
Bachelor's degree and higher
Jan 2007
6.9%
4.3%
3.8%
2.1%
Feb 2007
7.3
4.3
3.6
1.9
Mar 2007
6.9
4.0
3.6
1.8
Apr 2007
7.1
4.1
3.6
1.9
May 2007
6.6
4.4
3.4
2.0
Jun 2007
6.7
4.1
3.5
2.0
Jul 2007
7.3
4.6
3.6
2.1
Aug 2007
6.5
4.4
3.6
2.1
Sep 2007
7.6
4.5
3.4
2.0
Oct 2007
7.3
4.6
3.5
2.1
Nov 2007
7.7
4.5
3.3
2.2
Dec 2007
7.7
4.7
3.8
2.1
Jan 2008
7.7
4.7
3.7
2.1
Feb 2008
7.4
4.7
3.8
2.0
Mar 2008
8.4
5.1
3.9
2.1
Apr 2008
7.7
5.0
4.0
2.1
May 2008
8.1
5.0
4.3
2.2
Jun 2008
8.7
5.1
4.3
2.4
Jul 2008
8.6
5.4
4.6
2.5
Aug 2008
9.7
5.8
4.9
2.8
Sep 2008
9.8
6.2
5.0
2.6
Oct 2008
10.3
6.4
5.2
3.1
Nov 2008
10.8
7.0
5.5
3.2
Dec 2008
11.1
7.8
5.7
3.6
Jan 2009
12.4
8.2
6.5
3.9
Feb 2009
13.2
8.5
7.3
4.1
Mar 2009
14.0
9.2
7.5
4.3
Apr 2009
14.9
9.5
7.7
4.4
May 2009
15.2
10.0
7.8
4.8
Jun 2009
15.6
9.7
8.1
4.8
Jul 2009
15.3
9.5
8.0
4.8
Aug 2009
15.6
9.7
8.1
4.8
Sep 2009
14.9
10.6
8.3
5.0
Oct 2009
15.2
11.0
8.7
4.7
Nov 2009
14.7
10.3
8.8
4.8
Dec 2009
15.0
10.6
8.7
4.9
Jan 2010
15.3
10.2
8.6
4.9
Feb 2010
15.8
10.7
8.1
4.9
Mar 2010
14.9
11.0
8.4
4.9
Apr 2010
14.7
10.8
8.4
4.8
May 2010
14.6
10.9
8.2
4.6
Jun 2010
14.2
10.6
8.1
4.4
Jul 2010
13.5
10.0
8.3
4.5
Aug 2010
14.1
10.0
8.7
4.6
Sep 2010
15.6
9.7
8.9
4.5
Oct 2010
15.0
9.8
8.2
4.6
Nov 2010
15.4
10.0
8.6
5.0
Dec 2010
15.0
9.8
8.1
4.8
Jan 2011
14.3
9.5
8.1
4.3
Feb 2011
14.0
9.7
7.9
4.3
Mar 2011
14.1
9.7
7.5
4.4
Apr 2011
14.7
9.9
7.5
4.5
May 2011
14.5
9.6
7.8
4.5
Jun 2011
14.4
10.0
8.3
4.3
Jul 2011
14.5
9.1
8.3
4.2
Aug 2011
14.1
9.3
8.3
4.2
Sep 2011
14.3
9.4
8.5
4.2
Oct 2011
13.5
9.4
8.1
4.3
Nov 2011
12.8
8.8
7.7
4.4
Dec 2011
13.7
8.7
7.6
4.1
Jan 2012
13.0
8.5
7.1
4.3
Feb 2012
13.1
8.3
7.2
4.2
Mar 2012
12.8
8.1
7.5
4.1
Apr 2012
12.5
8.0
7.6
4.0
May 2012
12.9
8.3
7.7
3.9
Jun 2012
12.6
8.6
7.3
4.0
Jul 2012
12.4
8.5
7.2
4.1
Aug 2012
11.8
8.6
6.7
4.1
Sep 2012
11.7
8.5
6.6
4.0
Oct 2012
12.1
8.3
6.9
3.7
Nov 2012
12.0
8.0
6.5
3.9
Dec 2012
11.8
8.0
6.9
4.0
Jan 2013
12.0
8.2
6.9
3.8
Feb 2013
11.3
7.9
6.5
3.9
Mar 2013
11.1
7.7
6.3
3.8
Apr 2013
11.5
7.4
6.3
3.9
May 2013
10.9
7.4
6.5
3.9
Jun 2013
10.7
7.7
6.5
3.8
Jul 2013
10.7
7.5
6.1
3.8
Aug 2013
11.1
7.4
6.1
3.4
Sep 2013
10.6
7.6
6.1
3.7
Oct 2013
10.9
7.2
6.4
3.7
Nov 2013
10.7
7.2
6.4
3.4
Dec 2013
10.0
7.0
6.2
3.3
Jan 2014
9.6
6.5
5.8
3.3
Feb 2014
9.9
6.4
6.0
3.4
Mar 2014
9.4
6.3
6.0
3.4
Apr 2014
8.6
6.2
5.7
3.3
May 2014
9.1
6.5
5.6
3.2
Jun 2014
9.1
5.9
5.2
3.3
Jul 2014
9.4
6.1
5.3
3.1
Aug 2014
9.1
6.2
5.3
3.2
Sep 2014
8.3
5.3
5.4
2.9
Oct 2014
8.0
5.7
4.9
3.0
Nov 2014
8.7
5.7
4.9
3.2
Dec 2014
8.8
5.2
5.0
2.8
Jan 2015
8.5
5.5
5.2
2.8
Feb 2015
8.3
5.4
5.0
2.7
Mar 2015
8.5
5.3
4.8
2.4
Apr 2015
8.4
5.4
4.7
2.7
May 2015
8.6
5.8
4.4
2.8
Jun 2015
8.1
5.4
4.2
2.5
Jul 2015
8.2
5.5
4.4
2.5
Aug 2015
7.7
5.5
4.3
2.4
Sep 2015
7.8
5.2
4.2
2.5
Oct 2015
7.4
5.2
4.4
2.5
Nov 2015
6.9
5.4
4.4
2.5
Dec 2015
6.7
5.5
4.2
2.5
Jan 2016
7.4
5.3
4.2
2.5
Feb 2016
7.3
5.3
4.2
2.5
Mar 2016
7.4
5.4
4.1
2.6
Apr 2016
7.5
5.4
4.1
2.4
May 2016
7.2
5.1
3.8
2.4
Jun 2016
7.5
5.1
4.2
2.6
Jul 2016
6.3
5.0
4.2
2.5
Aug 2016
7.3
5.1
4.2
2.7
Sep 2016
8.5
5.2
4.2
2.5
Oct 2016
7.4
5.5
3.8
2.6
Nov 2016
7.9
4.9
3.9
2.3
Dec 2016
7.9
5.1
3.8
2.5
Jan 2017
7.7
5.3
3.8
2.5
For people with some college or an associate degree, the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in January 2017 and 4.2 percent a year earlier.
Among workers age 25 and older who graduated high school but did not attend college, the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in January 2017, the same as a year earlier.
For workers with less than a high school diploma, the unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in January 2017, little different from the rate in January 2016.
United States Department of Labor
