Unemployment rate changed little at 4.2 percent in November 2024
December 16, 2024
The unemployment rate changed little at 4.2 percent in November 2024. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Blacks (6.4 percent) edged up in November. The jobless rates for adult men (3.9 percent), adult women (3.9 percent), teenagers (13.2 percent), Whites (3.8 percent), Asians (3.8 percent), and Hispanics (5.3 percent) showed little or no change over the month.
Civilian unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted
Month
Total
Men, 20 years and over
Women, 20 years and over
16 to 19 years old
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
Nov 2014
5.8
5.4
5.3
17.2
5.0
10.9
4.8
6.6
Dec 2014
5.6
5.2
5.1
16.9
4.7
10.6
4.4
6.4
Jan 2015
5.7
5.3
5.0
18.5
4.9
10.3
4.0
6.7
Feb 2015
5.5
5.2
4.9
16.9
4.7
10.1
4.0
6.8
Mar 2015
5.4
5.1
4.9
17.5
4.8
9.9
3.2
6.8
Apr 2015
5.4
5.0
5.0
17.2
4.7
9.7
4.4
6.8
May 2015
5.6
5.2
5.1
17.8
4.8
10.3
4.1
6.8
Jun 2015
5.3
4.8
4.7
18.0
4.6
9.7
3.9
6.7
Jul 2015
5.2
4.8
4.8
16.4
4.5
9.1
3.9
6.9
Aug 2015
5.1
4.7
4.6
16.9
4.4
9.4
3.4
6.6
Sep 2015
5.0
4.7
4.6
16.5
4.4
9.3
3.5
6.2
Oct 2015
5.0
4.7
4.6
15.9
4.4
9.0
3.5
6.3
Nov 2015
5.1
4.8
4.6
15.3
4.4
9.4
3.9
6.4
Dec 2015
5.0
4.6
4.5
16.2
4.4
8.5
4.1
6.2
Jan 2016
4.8
4.3
4.5
15.9
4.2
8.5
3.6
5.9
Feb 2016
4.9
4.4
4.5
15.4
4.2
8.6
3.8
5.5
Mar 2016
5.0
4.5
4.7
16.0
4.3
8.9
3.9
5.6
Apr 2016
5.1
4.7
4.6
16.1
4.4
8.8
3.8
6.2
May 2016
4.8
4.4
4.3
15.9
4.2
8.2
4.1
5.7
Jun 2016
4.9
4.5
4.4
16.0
4.3
8.7
3.6
6.0
Jul 2016
4.8
4.7
4.1
15.2
4.2
8.2
3.8
5.4
Aug 2016
4.9
4.5
4.4
15.7
4.4
8.0
4.1
5.6
Sep 2016
5.0
4.7
4.4
16.1
4.4
8.5
3.8
6.2
Oct 2016
4.9
4.6
4.4
15.8
4.4
8.5
3.4
5.7
Nov 2016
4.7
4.4
4.3
15.5
4.2
8.2
3.1
5.6
Dec 2016
4.7
4.4
4.3
14.9
4.2
8.0
2.7
5.8
Jan 2017
4.7
4.3
4.3
14.6
4.2
7.5
3.6
5.8
Feb 2017
4.6
4.2
4.2
14.6
4.0
8.0
3.5
5.6
Mar 2017
4.4
4.2
4.0
13.4
3.8
7.8
3.2
5.0
Apr 2017
4.4
3.9
4.1
14.4
3.9
7.7
3.3
5.2
May 2017
4.4
3.9
4.1
14.2
3.7
7.7
3.6
5.2
Jun 2017
4.3
3.9
3.9
13.6
3.8
6.9
3.7
5.0
Jul 2017
4.3
4.0
3.9
13.2
3.8
7.3
3.7
5.1
Aug 2017
4.4
4.1
4.0
13.9
3.9
7.7
3.9
5.1
Sep 2017
4.3
3.9
3.9
12.9
3.7
7.2
3.6
5.1
Oct 2017
4.2
3.9
3.7
14.0
3.6
7.6
3.0
5.0
Nov 2017
4.2
3.8
3.7
16.2
3.7
7.5
3.1
4.9
Dec 2017
4.1
3.8
3.8
13.6
3.7
6.7
2.6
5.0
Jan 2018
4.0
3.7
3.6
13.8
3.5
7.5
2.9
4.9
Feb 2018
4.1
3.6
3.7
14.4
3.6
6.8
3.0
4.9
Mar 2018
4.0
3.6
3.7
13.2
3.5
6.7
3.1
4.9
Apr 2018
4.0
3.7
3.6
12.7
3.6
6.4
2.9
4.8
May 2018
3.8
3.6
3.4
13.1
3.5
5.9
2.2
4.8
Jun 2018
4.0
3.7
3.6
12.6
3.5
6.4
3.2
4.5
Jul 2018
3.8
3.4
3.6
12.9
3.4
6.5
3.0
4.5
Aug 2018
3.8
3.5
3.5
12.8
3.4
6.3
2.9
4.7
Sep 2018
3.7
3.5
3.3
12.3
3.3
6.1
3.5
4.6
Oct 2018
3.8
3.6
3.4
12.1
3.4
6.5
3.1
4.4
Nov 2018
3.8
3.4
3.5
12.4
3.4
6.1
2.8
4.7
Dec 2018
3.9
3.6
3.5
12.6
3.5
6.6
3.3
4.4
Jan 2019
4.0
3.6
3.6
13.2
3.5
7.0
3.0
4.8
Feb 2019
3.8
3.4
3.4
13.8
3.2
7.2
3.2
4.2
Mar 2019
3.8
3.5
3.4
12.7
3.3
6.7
3.0
4.7
Apr 2019
3.7
3.4
3.2
13.1
3.2
6.7
2.3
4.2
May 2019
3.6
3.3
3.3
12.9
3.2
6.1
2.6
4.2
Jun 2019
3.6
3.3
3.3
12.6
3.3
5.8
2.0
4.3
Jul 2019
3.7
3.4
3.3
12.6
3.4
5.7
2.8
4.5
Aug 2019
3.6
3.4
3.2
12.3
3.4
5.3
2.8
4.1
Sep 2019
3.5
3.3
3.1
12.2
3.2
5.3
2.5
3.9
Oct 2019
3.6
3.4
3.2
11.9
3.2
5.5
2.9
4.1
Nov 2019
3.6
3.2
3.3
12.0
3.2
5.5
2.6
4.3
Dec 2019
3.6
3.2
3.3
12.6
3.2
6.0
2.6
4.2
Jan 2020
3.6
3.2
3.3
12.6
3.1
6.4
3.0
4.3
Feb 2020
3.5
3.2
3.1
11.4
3.0
6.1
2.5
4.3
Mar 2020
4.4
4.1
4.0
14.3
3.9
7.0
4.1
6.0
Apr 2020
14.8
13.0
15.5
32.8
14.2
16.9
14.5
18.9
May 2020
13.2
11.5
13.9
30.4
12.3
16.8
15.0
17.6
Jun 2020
11.0
10.1
11.2
22.4
10.0
15.3
13.6
14.5
Jul 2020
10.2
9.4
10.5
19.2
9.2
14.3
12.0
12.9
Aug 2020
8.4
7.9
8.3
16.6
7.4
12.8
10.6
10.5
Sep 2020
7.8
7.3
7.8
16.0
7.0
11.9
8.9
10.2
Oct 2020
6.8
6.7
6.4
13.9
6.0
10.8
7.5
8.8
Nov 2020
6.7
6.6
6.2
13.8
5.9
10.2
6.7
8.6
Dec 2020
6.7
6.4
6.3
15.8
6.1
9.9
6.0
9.3
Jan 2021
6.4
6.1
6.0
15.0
5.7
9.3
6.6
8.5
Feb 2021
6.2
6.0
5.9
13.9
5.6
9.9
5.1
8.5
Mar 2021
6.1
5.8
5.8
13.0
5.4
9.9
5.9
7.9
Apr 2021
6.1
6.0
5.7
12.0
5.3
10.2
5.7
7.9
May 2021
5.8
5.8
5.3
9.7
5.1
9.1
5.7
7.2
Jun 2021
5.9
5.9
5.5
11.1
5.2
9.1
5.6
7.3
Jul 2021
5.4
5.4
5.0
10.4
4.8
8.1
5.3
6.5
Aug 2021
5.1
5.1
4.7
11.1
4.5
8.6
4.5
6.1
Sep 2021
4.7
4.7
4.3
11.3
4.2
7.7
4.2
6.2
Oct 2021
4.5
4.2
4.2
11.3
3.9
7.6
4.2
5.7
Nov 2021
4.1
3.9
3.9
10.9
3.7
6.4
3.8
5.0
Dec 2021
3.9
3.6
3.6
11.0
3.3
6.9
3.8
4.6
Jan 2022
4.0
3.8
3.6
11.2
3.4
7.0
3.6
4.7
Feb 2022
3.8
3.5
3.7
10.2
3.3
6.6
2.9
4.3
Mar 2022
3.6
3.4
3.4
10.3
3.2
6.4
2.7
4.2
Apr 2022
3.7
3.5
3.3
10.6
3.3
6.1
3.0
4.2
May 2022
3.6
3.4
3.4
10.5
3.2
6.2
2.4
4.4
Jun 2022
3.6
3.4
3.3
10.9
3.3
5.8
2.9
4.3
Jul 2022
3.5
3.3
3.1
11.2
3.1
5.9
2.7
4.0
Aug 2022
3.6
3.5
3.2
10.2
3.2
6.4
2.8
4.5
Sep 2022
3.5
3.3
3.1
11.4
3.0
5.8
2.5
3.9
Oct 2022
3.6
3.3
3.4
10.6
3.2
5.8
3.0
4.2
Nov 2022
3.6
3.3
3.3
11.3
3.2
5.6
2.6
4.0
Dec 2022
3.5
3.1
3.2
10.5
3.0
5.7
2.4
4.2
Jan 2023
3.4
3.2
3.1
10.5
3.1
5.4
2.9
4.7
Feb 2023
3.6
3.3
3.3
11.1
3.2
5.7
3.4
5.4
Mar 2023
3.5
3.4
3.2
9.9
3.2
5.1
2.8
4.6
Apr 2023
3.4
3.3
3.1
9.3
3.1
4.8
2.8
4.4
May 2023
3.7
3.5
3.3
10.3
3.3
5.7
3.0
4.1
Jun 2023
3.6
3.4
3.1
11.2
3.1
6.0
3.1
4.2
Jul 2023
3.5
3.4
3.1
11.3
3.1
5.7
2.3
4.4
Aug 2023
3.8
3.7
3.2
12.3
3.4
5.3
3.2
4.9
Sep 2023
3.8
3.8
3.1
11.8
3.4
5.7
2.9
4.6
Oct 2023
3.8
3.7
3.2
13.1
3.5
5.8
3.1
4.8
Nov 2023
3.7
3.7
3.1
11.4
3.3
5.8
3.5
4.6
Dec 2023
3.7
3.5
3.3
11.9
3.5
5.2
3.1
5.0
Jan 2024
3.7
3.6
3.2
10.6
3.4
5.3
2.9
5.0
Feb 2024
3.9
3.5
3.5
12.5
3.4
5.6
3.4
5.0
Mar 2024
3.8
3.3
3.6
12.6
3.4
6.4
2.5
4.5
Apr 2024
3.9
3.6
3.5
11.7
3.5
5.6
2.8
4.8
May 2024
4.0
3.8
3.4
12.3
3.5
6.1
3.1
5.0
Jun 2024
4.1
3.8
3.7
12.1
3.5
6.3
4.1
4.9
Jul 2024
4.3
4.0
3.8
12.4
3.8
6.3
3.7
5.3
Aug 2024
4.2
4.0
3.7
14.1
3.8
6.1
4.1
5.5
Sep 2024
4.1
3.7
3.6
14.3
3.6
5.7
4.1
5.1
Oct 2024
4.1
3.9
3.6
13.8
3.8
5.7
3.9
5.1
Nov 2024
4.2
3.9
3.9
13.2
3.8
6.4
3.8
5.3
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons changed little at 4.5 million in November. This measure is up from 4.0 million a year earlier. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.
The number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job, at 5.5 million, changed little in November. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job.
These data are from the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — November 2024 .” Also see more charts on employment and unemployment . To learn how unemployment rates are calculated, see "Unemployment Rate Explained ," a BLS video .
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