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The unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent in December 2024. After increasing earlier in the year, the unemployment rate has been either 4.1 percent or 4.2 percent for the past 7 months. The number of unemployed people, at 6.9 million, also changed little over the month. These measures are higher than a year earlier, when the jobless rate was 3.8 percent and the number of unemployed people was 6.3 million.
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 | |
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 |
9.7 | 570,000 | 14.1 | 832,000 | 31.9 | 1,885,000 | 33.5 | 1,979,000 | 10.8 | 636,000 |
Feb 2020 |
8.8 | 510,000 | 13.3 | 766,000 | 31.4 | 1,813,000 | 33.1 | 1,910,000 | 13.3 | 768,000 |
Mar 2020 |
7.6 | 546,000 | 9.8 | 706,000 | 24.8 | 1,788,000 | 29.5 | 2,131,000 | 28.3 | 2,045,000 |
Apr 2020 |
1.6 | 379,000 | 2.4 | 549,000 | 6.4 | 1,483,000 | 11.2 | 2,592,000 | 78.3 | 18,052,000 |
May 2020 |
2.5 | 529,000 | 2.6 | 551,000 | 7.9 | 1,648,000 | 13.9 | 2,914,000 | 73.1 | 15,310,000 |
Jun 2020 |
3.2 | 572,000 | 3.2 | 563,000 | 13.0 | 2,292,000 | 20.7 | 3,639,000 | 59.9 | 10,535,000 |
Jul 2020 |
3.3 | 539,000 | 3.6 | 587,000 | 14.0 | 2,294,000 | 22.5 | 3,677,000 | 56.6 | 9,268,000 |
Aug 2020 |
4.1 | 545,000 | 4.6 | 615,000 | 15.1 | 2,033,000 | 30.4 | 4,088,000 | 45.8 | 6,161,000 |
Sep 2020 |
4.3 | 539,000 | 6.4 | 805,000 | 16.6 | 2,083,000 | 35.7 | 4,464,000 | 36.9 | 4,621,000 |
Oct 2020 |
4.7 | 517,000 | 7.0 | 765,000 | 18.2 | 1,992,000 | 40.9 | 4,485,000 | 29.2 | 3,194,000 |
Nov 2020 |
5.2 | 556,000 | 6.4 | 688,000 | 18.4 | 1,970,000 | 43.7 | 4,670,000 | 26.2 | 2,800,000 |
Dec 2020 |
4.7 | 507,000 | 7.0 | 754,000 | 21.0 | 2,271,000 | 39.1 | 4,231,000 | 28.3 | 3,062,000 |
Jan 2021 |
5.5 | 568,000 | 6.4 | 652,000 | 19.7 | 2,027,000 | 41.7 | 4,277,000 | 26.7 | 2,739,000 |
Feb 2021 |
5.9 | 594,000 | 7.0 | 707,000 | 21.5 | 2,153,000 | 43.2 | 4,333,000 | 22.4 | 2,245,000 |
Mar 2021 |
5.2 | 507,000 | 7.8 | 765,000 | 23.6 | 2,302,000 | 42.6 | 4,160,000 | 20.8 | 2,028,000 |
Apr 2021 |
5.7 | 559,000 | 8.3 | 818,000 | 21.6 | 2,127,000 | 42.9 | 4,230,000 | 21.5 | 2,117,000 |
May 2021 |
5.5 | 511,000 | 8.6 | 792,000 | 23.6 | 2,186,000 | 42.5 | 3,931,000 | 19.8 | 1,837,000 |
Jun 2021 |
5.3 | 494,000 | 10.1 | 950,000 | 24.3 | 2,287,000 | 42.0 | 3,946,000 | 18.4 | 1,729,000 |
Jul 2021 |
5.6 | 485,000 | 10.6 | 924,000 | 26.3 | 2,286,000 | 42.8 | 3,725,000 | 14.8 | 1,285,000 |
Aug 2021 |
6.2 | 510,000 | 10.1 | 828,000 | 29.5 | 2,416,000 | 39.2 | 3,211,000 | 15.0 | 1,234,000 |
Sep 2021 |
6.6 | 501,000 | 10.4 | 789,000 | 29.3 | 2,230,000 | 38.9 | 2,956,000 | 14.8 | 1,123,000 |
Oct 2021 |
7.4 | 533,000 | 11.7 | 846,000 | 30.0 | 2,162,000 | 36.8 | 2,652,000 | 14.0 | 1,012,000 |
Nov 2021 |
6.3 | 425,000 | 12.4 | 838,000 | 31.8 | 2,139,000 | 36.7 | 2,471,000 | 12.8 | 863,000 |
Dec 2021 |
8.0 | 510,000 | 11.3 | 722,000 | 32.4 | 2,064,000 | 36.1 | 2,305,000 | 12.2 | 776,000 |
Jan 2022 |
6.7 | 446,000 | 14.3 | 950,000 | 29.7 | 1,970,000 | 34.5 | 2,288,000 | 14.9 | 986,000 |
Feb 2022 |
6.8 | 429,000 | 15.2 | 964,000 | 30.7 | 1,945,000 | 33.7 | 2,135,000 | 13.6 | 864,000 |
Mar 2022 |
7.8 | 472,000 | 13.0 | 785,000 | 33.7 | 2,038,000 | 33.4 | 2,021,000 | 12.0 | 728,000 |
Apr 2022 |
8.4 | 508,000 | 13.1 | 793,000 | 30.7 | 1,863,000 | 33.0 | 2,000,000 | 14.9 | 902,000 |
May 2022 |
9.0 | 536,000 | 12.9 | 772,000 | 32.7 | 1,951,000 | 31.6 | 1,881,000 | 13.8 | 822,000 |
Jun 2022 |
7.6 | 449,000 | 14.3 | 839,000 | 34.2 | 2,009,000 | 31.1 | 1,825,000 | 12.8 | 753,000 |
Jul 2022 |
8.4 | 486,000 | 14.5 | 841,000 | 31.2 | 1,807,000 | 30.9 | 1,788,000 | 15.0 | 871,000 |
Aug 2022 |
7.2 | 427,000 | 15.2 | 900,000 | 30.7 | 1,810,000 | 33.1 | 1,950,000 | 13.8 | 813,000 |
Sep 2022 |
8.1 | 463,000 | 15.9 | 904,000 | 31.6 | 1,804,000 | 30.4 | 1,733,000 | 14.0 | 797,000 |
Oct 2022 |
8.4 | 497,000 | 14.6 | 863,000 | 31.5 | 1,862,000 | 31.2 | 1,845,000 | 14.2 | 838,000 |
Nov 2022 |
9.5 | 560,000 | 14.0 | 828,000 | 30.4 | 1,798,000 | 32.8 | 1,940,000 | 13.4 | 796,000 |
Dec 2022 |
8.7 | 499,000 | 14.3 | 820,000 | 31.5 | 1,810,000 | 31.9 | 1,831,000 | 13.6 | 784,000 |
Jan 2023 |
9.5 | 556,000 | 15.2 | 883,000 | 31.1 | 1,809,000 | 31.2 | 1,820,000 | 13.0 | 757,000 |
Feb 2023 |
8.6 | 517,000 | 14.8 | 893,000 | 30.5 | 1,837,000 | 32.5 | 1,956,000 | 13.6 | 817,000 |
Mar 2023 |
8.2 | 484,000 | 14.2 | 840,000 | 28.5 | 1,687,000 | 35.6 | 2,109,000 | 13.6 | 803,000 |
Apr 2023 |
9.5 | 546,000 | 13.7 | 787,000 | 31.0 | 1,786,000 | 33.0 | 1,904,000 | 12.9 | 741,000 |
May 2023 |
8.5 | 517,000 | 12.6 | 768,000 | 30.1 | 1,841,000 | 36.1 | 2,206,000 | 12.8 | 782,000 |
Jun 2023 |
9.2 | 543,000 | 13.5 | 798,000 | 29.9 | 1,764,000 | 34.0 | 2,009,000 | 13.4 | 791,000 |
Jul 2023 |
8.9 | 524,000 | 14.4 | 852,000 | 31.2 | 1,849,000 | 33.5 | 1,981,000 | 12.1 | 714,000 |
Aug 2023 |
9.3 | 579,000 | 12.8 | 802,000 | 30.8 | 1,922,000 | 34.1 | 2,128,000 | 13.1 | 815,000 |
Sep 2023 |
9.2 | 578,000 | 12.7 | 796,000 | 32.4 | 2,036,000 | 32.9 | 2,069,000 | 12.9 | 809,000 |
Oct 2023 |
9.9 | 635,000 | 12.5 | 801,000 | 29.2 | 1,867,000 | 34.5 | 2,205,000 | 13.8 | 882,000 |
Nov 2023 |
9.1 | 567,000 | 13.2 | 819,000 | 28.5 | 1,770,000 | 34.6 | 2,154,000 | 14.6 | 908,000 |
Dec 2023 |
9.9 | 624,000 | 13.2 | 829,000 | 28.1 | 1,770,000 | 34.4 | 2,164,000 | 14.4 | 909,000 |
Jan 2024 |
8.9 | 558,000 | 12.7 | 793,000 | 29.8 | 1,857,000 | 34.8 | 2,168,000 | 13.8 | 862,000 |
Feb 2024 |
9.7 | 631,000 | 10.9 | 712,000 | 30.1 | 1,964,000 | 36.6 | 2,390,000 | 12.6 | 824,000 |
Mar 2024 |
10.4 | 674,000 | 12.7 | 823,000 | 29.9 | 1,938,000 | 35.0 | 2,269,000 | 12.1 | 784,000 |
Apr 2024 |
8.9 | 581,000 | 12.0 | 785,000 | 29.8 | 1,949,000 | 36.2 | 2,365,000 | 13.1 | 860,000 |
May 2024 |
9.7 | 646,000 | 10.8 | 720,000 | 31.0 | 2,060,000 | 35.8 | 2,378,000 | 12.6 | 836,000 |
Jun 2024 |
10.4 | 701,000 | 11.2 | 754,000 | 31.2 | 2,103,000 | 35.1 | 2,370,000 | 12.1 | 817,000 |
Jul 2024 |
9.0 | 648,000 | 11.9 | 855,000 | 30.0 | 2,161,000 | 33.8 | 2,436,000 | 15.4 | 1,109,000 |
Aug 2024 |
10.1 | 708,000 | 12.1 | 845,000 | 30.4 | 2,133,000 | 35.1 | 2,456,000 | 12.3 | 865,000 |
Sep 2024 |
9.7 | 656,000 | 12.1 | 819,000 | 30.3 | 2,051,000 | 34.7 | 2,348,000 | 13.1 | 885,000 |
Oct 2024 |
8.8 | 608,000 | 11.6 | 802,000 | 31.1 | 2,151,000 | 36.7 | 2,543,000 | 11.8 | 820,000 |
Nov 2024 |
9.7 | 690,000 | 12.0 | 854,000 | 30.6 | 2,182,000 | 36.6 | 2,607,000 | 11.1 | 787,000 |
Dec 2024 |
9.5 | 655,000 | 13.8 | 947,000 | 29.5 | 2,031,000 | 34.7 | 2,389,000 | 12.5 | 862,000 |
Note: Data are seasonally adjusted. |
Among the unemployed in December 2024, 2.4 million, or 34.7 percent, were job losers not on a temporary layoff.
In December 2024, 12.5 percent (or 862,000) of the unemployed were on a temporary layoff.
Reentrants made up 29.5 percent (or 2.0 million) of the unemployed in December 2024, while job leavers made up 13.8 percent (947,000) and new entrants were 9.5 percent (655,000).
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. Those unemployed are categorized into one of four general reasons for unemployment: job losers, job leavers, reentrants, and new entrants. The job losers category consists of two subgroups: 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.
These data are from the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — December 2024.” We also have more charts on employment and unemployment.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Number of unemployed at 6.9 million in December 2024 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/number-of-unemployed-at-6-9-million-in-december-2024.htm (visited March 18, 2025).