Unemployment Rate under Ronald Reagan
Unemployment Rate went from 7.5% in Ronald Reagan's first month to 7.3% at month 48: a change of −0.2 pts. At that point in office it ranks #7 of 9 administrations since 1969. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
All administrations at month 48
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 48 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Joe Biden | 4.1% | −2.3 pts | 4.1% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #2 | Richard Nixon | 5.2% | +1.8 pts | 5.2% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #3 | Bill Clinton | 5.4% | −1.9 pts | 5.4% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #4 | George W. Bush | 5.4% | +1.2 pts | 5.4% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #5 | Donald Trump (first term) | 6.7% | +2.0 pts | 6.7% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #6 | Jimmy Carter | 7.2% | −0.3 pts | 7.2% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #7 | Ronald Reagan | 7.3% | −0.2 pts | 7.3% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #8 | George H. W. Bush | 7.4% | +2.0 pts | 7.4% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · UNRATE |
| #9 | Barack Obama | 7.9% | +0.1 pts | 7.9% (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.