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Number of unemployed at 6.9 million in December 2024
January 17, 2025
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.
Reasons for unemployment, December 2019–December 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
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.
United States Department of Labor
