7.8 percent of people who worked or looked for work experienced unemployment in 2018

The number of people who experienced some unemployment during 2018 declined by 1.3 million to 13.2 million. Their share of those who worked or looked for work during the year fell by 0.8 percentage point to 7.8 percent in 2018. That was the lowest rate in the history of the series. In 2018, 168.6 million people worked or looked for work at some time during the year, an increase of 1.1 million from 2017.

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Chart Data Number of unemployed at some time during the year as a percent of those who worked or looked for work during the year, 1958-2018 Year Total Men Women Work-experience unemployment rate Number who worked or looked for work during the year Number of unemployed at some time during the year Work-experience unemployment rate Number who worked or looked for work during the year Number of unemployed at some time during the year Work-experience unemployment rate Number who worked or looked for work during the year Number of unemployed at some time during the year 1958 17.9% 78,787,000 14,120,000 19.6% 49,158,000 9,645,000 15.1% 29,628,000 4,474,000 1959 15.3 79,494,000 12,195,000 16.5 49,523,000 8,163,000 13.5 29,971,000 4,032,000 1960 17.2 82,204,000 14,151,000 18.4 50,686,000 9,318,000 15.3 31,518,000 4,833,000 1961 18.4 81,963,000 15,096,000 19.4 50,610,000 9,846,000 16.7 31,353,000 5,250,000 1962 18.2 83,944,000 15,256,000 18.8 51,412,000 9,686,000 17.1 32,532,000 5,570,000 1963 16.7 85,038,000 14,211,000 17.2 51,817,000 8,923,000 15.9 33,221,000 5,288,000 1964 16.2 86,837,000 14,052,000 16.3 52,645,000 8,563,000 16.1 34,192,000 5,489,000 1965 14.1 87,591,000 12,334,000 14.0 52,958,000 7,428,000 14.2 34,633,000 4,906,000 1966 13.0 87,540,000 11,387,000 12.5 52,103,000 6,503,000 13.8 35,437,000 4,884,000 1967 12.9 89,432,000 11,564,000 12.6 52,788,000 6,655,000 13.4 36,644,000 4,909,000 1968 12.4 91,480,000 11,332,000 11.7 53,677,000 6,263,000 13.4 37,803,000 5,069,000 1969 12.5 93,640,000 11,744,000 12.3 54,755,000 6,709,000 12.9 38,885,000 5,035,000 1970 15.3 95,576,000 14,615,000 15.5 55,714,000 8,642,000 15.0 39,862,000 5,973,000 1971 16.3 97,652,000 15,950,000 16.4 57,091,000 9,372,000 16.2 40,561,000 6,579,000 1972 15.5 99,730,000 15,436,000 15.3 58,170,000 8,881,000 15.8 41,559,000 6,555,000 1973 14.3 102,747,000 14,697,000 13.5 59,355,000 8,032,000 15.4 43,392,000 6,665,000 1974 17.9 104,769,000 18,785,000 17.3 60,114,000 10,421,000 18.7 44,655,000 8,364,000 1975 20.2 105,843,000 21,402,000 20.0 60,413,000 12,101,000 20.5 45,430,000 9,302,000 1976 19.1 108,783,000 20,795,000 18.8 61,556,000 11,587,000 19.5 47,225,000 9,208,000 1977 17.9 111,531,000 19,910,000 17.5 62,674,000 10,949,000 18.3 48,858,000 8,960,000 1978 15.9 114,464,000 18,185,000 15.4 63,804,000 9,822,000 16.5 50,660,000 8,363,000 1979 15.8 116,983,000 18,468,000 15.5 64,739,000 10,042,000 16.1 52,244,000 8,426,000 1980 18.1 118,348,000 21,410,000 18.5 65,277,000 12,072,000 17.6 53,071,000 9,338,000 1981 19.5 119,658,000 23,382,000 20.0 65,950,000 13,175,000 19.0 53,708,000 10,207,000 1982 22.0 120,235,000 26,493,000 23.3 66,160,000 15,441,000 20.4 54,074,000 11,052,000 1983 19.6 121,503,000 23,762,000 21.0 66,350,000 13,919,000 17.8 55,153,000 9,842,000 1984 17.4 124,117,000 21,535,000 18.1 67,234,000 12,174,000 16.5 56,883,000 9,361,000 1985 16.7 125,890,000 20,984,000 17.2 68,270,000 11,754,000 16.0 57,620,000 9,230,000 1986 16.2 128,143,000 20,703,000 16.9 69,225,000 11,688,000 15.3 58,918,000 9,015,000 1987 14.1 130,353,000 18,399,000 15.0 69,995,000 10,504,000 13.1 60,357,000 7,895,000 1988 12.9 132,185,000 17,096,000 13.7 70,738,000 9,696,000 12.0 61,447,000 7,400,000 1989 12.9 133,444,000 17,257,000 13.7 71,475,000 9,778,000 12.1 61,970,000 7,480,000 1990 14.7 134,436,000 19,786,000 15.7 71,959,000 11,294,000 13.6 62,477,000 8,492,000 1991 15.7 134,985,000 21,256,000 17.5 72,109,000 12,625,000 13.7 62,876,000 8,631,000 1992 15.8 135,822,000 21,441,000 17.7 72,607,000 12,833,000 13.6 63,214,000 8,607,000 1993 14.8 138,895,000 20,516,000 15.9 73,689,000 11,712,000 13.5 65,206,000 8,804,000 1994 13.5 140,441,000 18,944,000 14.2 74,418,000 10,565,000 12.7 66,023,000 8,379,000 1995 12.8 141,659,000 18,063,000 13.3 74,982,000 9,992,000 12.1 66,677,000 8,070,000 1996 11.7 143,708,000 16,786,000 12.0 76,035,000 9,153,000 11.3 67,673,000 7,632,000 1997 10.8 145,323,000 15,623,000 11.2 76,704,000 8,594,000 10.2 68,619,000 7,029,000 1998 9.6 146,570,000 14,042,000 9.5 77,047,000 7,282,000 9.7 69,523,000 6,760,000 1999 8.8 149,042,000 13,050,000 9.0 78,236,000 7,073,000 8.4 70,806,000 5,976,000 2000 8.6 152,417,000 13,041,000 9.0 80,287,000 7,199,000 8.1 72,130,000 5,842,000 2001 10.4 152,300,000 15,834,000 11.1 80,304,000 8,919,000 9.6 71,996,000 6,915,000 2002 11.0 153,411,000 16,802,000 11.9 80,933,000 9,603,000 9.9 72,478,000 7,199,000 2003 10.7 153,448,000 16,444,000 11.5 81,023,000 9,321,000 9.8 72,425,000 7,122,000 2004 9.7 154,796,000 15,077,000 10.1 81,759,000 8,249,000 9.3 73,037,000 6,828,000 2005 9.3 156,744,000 14,531,000 9.7 83,230,000 8,090,000 8.8 73,514,000 6,441,000 2006 9.1 158,563,000 14,424,000 9.6 84,100,000 8,097,000 8.5 74,463,000 6,326,000 2007 9.5 159,750,000 15,117,000 10.3 84,614,000 8,685,000 8.6 75,136,000 6,432,000 2008 13.2 160,658,000 21,205,000 14.5 84,781,000 12,306,000 11.7 75,878,000 8,899,000 2009 16.4 159,776,000 26,135,000 18.8 84,396,000 15,864,000 13.6 75,380,000 10,271,000 2010 15.9 158,882,000 25,241,000 17.7 84,000,000 14,880,000 13.8 74,882,000 10,360,000 2011 14.9 159,693,000 23,739,000 15.8 83,715,000 13,262,000 13.8 75,978,000 10,477,000 2012 13.9 161,707,000 22,423,000 14.5 84,999,000 12,352,000 13.1 76,708,000 10,071,000 2013 12.9 161,813,000 20,880,000 13.5 85,032,000 11,521,000 12.2 76,781,000 9,359,000 2014 10.9 162,757,000 17,708,000 11.4 85,602,000 9,784,000 10.3 77,156,000 7,924,000 2015 10.2 165,495,000 16,925,000 10.4 87,149,000 9,063,000 10.0 78,347,000 7,862,000 2016 9.4 166,221,000 15,570,000 9.5 87,368,000 8,300,000 9.2 78,853,000 7,270,000 2017 8.6 167,538,000 14,461,000 9.0 88,360,000 7,921,000 8.3 79,177,000 6,540,000 2018 7.8 168,617,000 13,171,000 8.2 88,364,000 7,210,000 7.4 80,253,000 5,962,000 Notes:

1. The work experience unemployment rate is the number of persons who experienced unemployment during the calendar year as a percent of all persons who worked or looked for work during the calendar year.

2. Data for 1966 forward refer to persons 16 years and over; 14 years and over for prior years.

Among men who worked or looked for work in 2018, 8.2 percent experienced unemployment. They continued to have a higher rate than women, 7.4 percent. The rates for men and women were the lowest in the history of both series. From 2017 to 2018, the rate for men decreased by 0.8 percentage point, compared with a decrease of 0.9 percentage point for women.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Work Experience of the Population — 2018."

RELATED SUBJECTS Men

Unemployment

Women