United States Unemployment Rate (2024)

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What is the US unemployment rate right now? ›

The current unemployment rate is 3.8%. Anna Helhoski is a senior writer covering economic news and trends in consumer finance at NerdWallet. She is also an authority on student loans. She joined NerdWallet in 2014.

The unemployment rate has varied from as low as 1% during World War I to as high as 25% during the Great Depression.

The rate in Mississippi, 3.0 percent, set a new series low. (All state series begin in 1976.) California had the highest unemployment rate, 5.3 percent, closely followed by the District of Columbia, 5.2 percent.

Household Survey Data

Both the unemployment rate, at 3.8 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 6.4 million, changed little in March. The unemployment rate has been in a narrow range of 3.7 percent to 3.9 percent since August 2023.

China Jobless Rate Falls to 5.2%

China's surveyed unemployment rate edged down to 5.2% in March 2024, down from 5.3% in the previous month, in line with market expectations.

The unemployment rate for people ages 16 to 24 in the United States in 2023 was 9.7 percent. However, this rate was much lower for people aged 45 and over, at 2.6 percent.

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Japan unemployment rate for 2022 was 2.64%, a 0.16% decline from 2021. Japan unemployment rate for 2021 was 2.80%, a 0% increase from 2020.

The countries with the lowest unemployment rates are Qatar, Cambodia, and Niger. A low unemployment rate does not mean a nation's citizens are well-off; the standard of living is determined by GDP per capita.

The bottom five states—California, Alaska, North Carolina, Arizona and Florida—had lower average weekly benefits relative to their cost of living. It's important to note that some states have benefit periods that can fluctuate depending on their unemployment rate.

To calculate your weekly benefit amount, use the quarter in the base period with your highest earnings and divide the earnings by 26. This number is your weekly benefit amount. The minimum weekly benefit amount is $32 and the maximum weekly benefit amount is $275.

Who has the worst unemployment rate? ›

States With the Highest Unemployment Rates

At the state level, Nevada had the highest unemployment rate for January—the latest month with available data—at 5.3%. Other high jobless rates were found in California (5.2%) and in District of Columbia (5.0%).

The recession rule is defined as: Sahm Recession Indicator signals the start of a recession when the three-month moving average of the national unemployment rate (U3) rises by 0.50 percentage points or more relative to its low during the previous 12 months.

The latest report showed the state with the lowest unemployment was North Dakota, with a jobless rate of 1.9%. South Dakota was also among the states with the strongest job market, according to the latest data, with an unemployment rate of just 2.1%.

U.S. unemployment rate for 2022 was 3.61%, a 1.74% decline from 2021. U.S. unemployment rate for 2021 was 5.35%, a 2.7% decline from 2020. U.S. unemployment rate for 2020 was 8.05%, a 4.38% increase from 2019. U.S. unemployment rate for 2019 was 3.67%, a 0.23% decline from 2018.

German Jobless Rate Unchanged at 5.8%

Germany's seasonally adjusted jobless rate held steady for a third consecutive period at 5.8% in January 2024, remaining at its highest level since June 2021 and coming in slightly below market forecasts of 5.9%.