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Unemployment Rate under every president, month by month

At month 21 in office, Trump II is at 4.2%: #3 of 10 administrations (average 6.0%). Official Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.

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3.8%9.1%14.4%Month 1Month 13Month 25Month 37Month 48Nixon, month 1: 3.4%Nixon, month 4: 3.4%Nixon, month 7: 3.5%Nixon, month 10: 3.7%Nixon, month 13: 3.9%Nixon, month 16: 4.6%Nixon, month 19: 5.0%Nixon, month 22: 5.5%Nixon, month 25: 5.9%Nixon, month 28: 5.9%Nixon, month 31: 6.0%Nixon, month 34: 5.8%Nixon, month 37: 5.8%Nixon, month 40: 5.7%Nixon, month 43: 5.6%Nixon, month 46: 5.6%Nixon, month 48: 5.2%NixonCarter, month 1: 7.5%Carter, month 4: 7.2%Carter, month 7: 6.9%Carter, month 10: 6.8%Carter, month 13: 6.4%Carter, month 16: 6.1%Carter, month 19: 6.2%Carter, month 22: 5.8%Carter, month 25: 5.9%Carter, month 28: 5.8%Carter, month 31: 5.7%Carter, month 34: 6.0%Carter, month 37: 6.3%Carter, month 40: 6.9%Carter, month 43: 7.8%Carter, month 46: 7.5%Carter, month 48: 7.2%CarterReagan, month 1: 7.5%Reagan, month 4: 7.2%Reagan, month 7: 7.2%Reagan, month 10: 7.9%Reagan, month 13: 8.6%Reagan, month 16: 9.3%Reagan, month 19: 9.8%Reagan, month 22: 10.4%Reagan, month 25: 10.4%Reagan, month 28: 10.2%Reagan, month 31: 9.4%Reagan, month 34: 8.8%Reagan, month 37: 8.0%Reagan, month 40: 7.7%Reagan, month 43: 7.5%Reagan, month 46: 7.4%Reagan, month 48: 7.3%ReaganBush 41, month 1: 5.4%Bush 41, month 4: 5.2%Bush 41, month 7: 5.2%Bush 41, month 10: 5.3%Bush 41, month 13: 5.4%Bush 41, month 16: 5.4%Bush 41, month 19: 5.5%Bush 41, month 22: 5.9%Bush 41, month 25: 6.4%Bush 41, month 28: 6.7%Bush 41, month 31: 6.8%Bush 41, month 34: 7.0%Bush 41, month 37: 7.3%Bush 41, month 40: 7.4%Bush 41, month 43: 7.7%Bush 41, month 46: 7.3%Bush 41, month 48: 7.4%Bush 41Clinton, month 1: 7.3%Clinton, month 4: 7.1%Clinton, month 7: 6.9%Clinton, month 10: 6.8%Clinton, month 13: 6.6%Clinton, month 16: 6.4%Clinton, month 19: 6.1%Clinton, month 22: 5.8%Clinton, month 25: 5.6%Clinton, month 28: 5.8%Clinton, month 31: 5.7%Clinton, month 34: 5.5%Clinton, month 37: 5.6%Clinton, month 40: 5.6%Clinton, month 43: 5.5%Clinton, month 46: 5.2%Clinton, month 48: 5.4%ClintonBush 43, month 1: 4.2%Bush 43, month 4: 4.4%Bush 43, month 7: 4.6%Bush 43, month 10: 5.3%Bush 43, month 13: 5.7%Bush 43, month 16: 5.9%Bush 43, month 19: 5.8%Bush 43, month 22: 5.7%Bush 43, month 25: 5.8%Bush 43, month 28: 6.0%Bush 43, month 31: 6.2%Bush 43, month 34: 6.0%Bush 43, month 37: 5.7%Bush 43, month 40: 5.6%Bush 43, month 43: 5.5%Bush 43, month 46: 5.5%Bush 43, month 48: 5.4%Bush 43Obama, month 1: 7.8%Obama, month 4: 9.0%Obama, month 7: 9.5%Obama, month 10: 10.0%Obama, month 13: 9.8%Obama, month 16: 9.9%Obama, month 19: 9.4%Obama, month 22: 9.4%Obama, month 25: 9.1%Obama, month 28: 9.1%Obama, month 31: 9.0%Obama, month 34: 8.8%Obama, month 37: 8.3%Obama, month 40: 8.2%Obama, month 43: 8.2%Obama, month 46: 7.8%Obama, month 48: 7.9%ObamaTrump I, month 1: 4.7%Trump I, month 4: 4.4%Trump I, month 7: 4.3%Trump I, month 10: 4.2%Trump I, month 13: 4.0%Trump I, month 16: 4.0%Trump I, month 19: 3.8%Trump I, month 22: 3.8%Trump I, month 25: 4.0%Trump I, month 28: 3.7%Trump I, month 31: 3.7%Trump I, month 34: 3.6%Trump I, month 37: 3.6%Trump I, month 40: 14.8%Trump I, month 43: 10.2%Trump I, month 46: 6.9%Trump I, month 48: 6.7%Trump IBiden, month 1: 6.4%Biden, month 4: 6.1%Biden, month 7: 5.4%Biden, month 10: 4.5%Biden, month 13: 4.0%Biden, month 16: 3.7%Biden, month 19: 3.5%Biden, month 22: 3.6%Biden, month 25: 3.5%Biden, month 28: 3.4%Biden, month 31: 3.5%Biden, month 34: 3.9%Biden, month 37: 3.7%Biden, month 40: 3.9%Biden, month 43: 4.2%Biden, month 46: 4.1%Biden, month 48: 4.1%BidenTrump II, month 1: 4.0%Trump II, month 4: 4.2%Trump II, month 7: 4.3%Trump II, month 11: 4.5%Trump II, month 14: 4.4%Trump II, month 17: 4.3%Trump II, month 20: 4.1%Trump II, month 21: 4.2%Trump II
Unemployment, months 1–48 of each term. Highlighted: Trump II.

Every administration at month 21

Unemployment Rate at month 21 in office, 10 administrations ranked lowest (best) to highest. Average of all 10: 6.0%.
RankAdministrationValue at month 21Change since month 1Latest / end of month 48Primary federal source
#1Joe Biden3.5%−2.9 pts4.1% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#2Donald Trump (first term)3.7%−1.0 pts6.7% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#3Donald Trump (second term) · in office4.2%+0.2 pts4.2% (month 21)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#4Richard Nixon5.4%+2.0 pts5.2% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#5George W. Bush5.7%+1.5 pts5.4% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#6George H. W. Bush5.9%+0.5 pts7.4% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#7Bill Clinton5.9%−1.4 pts5.4% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#8Jimmy Carter6.0%−1.5 pts7.2% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#9Barack Obama9.5%+1.7 pts7.9% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE
#10Ronald Reagan10.1%+2.6 pts7.3% (month 48)Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE

Methodology and source verification

The official U-3 unemployment rate from the BLS Current Population Survey, monthly and seasonally adjusted. Lower ranks better.

Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.

Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series UNRATE, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-10-02. Full methods: methodology.

Unemployment Rate by president

Unemployment Rate under Richard NixonUnemployment Rate under Jimmy CarterUnemployment Rate under Ronald ReaganUnemployment Rate under George H. W. BushUnemployment Rate under Bill ClintonUnemployment Rate under George W. BushUnemployment Rate under Barack ObamaUnemployment Rate under Donald Trump (first term)Unemployment Rate under Joe BidenUnemployment Rate under Donald Trump (second term)

Other benchmarks

GDP GrowthReal GDPLabor Force ParticipationJobs Added per MonthManufacturing JobsInflation (CPI)Core InflationGas PricesReal WagesPurchasing Power of the DollarFederal Funds RateDebt-to-GDPTrade Balance30-Year Mortgage RateHousing StartsRetail SalesJob OpeningsJob Openings per Job SeekerPersonal Saving RateConsumer SentimentS&P 50010-Year Treasury Yield5-Year Treasury YieldYield Curve (10Y–2Y)Federal Budget Balance