Line graph measures the unemployment rate in the United States from 1985 through September 2016.
Data for the graphic are as follows:
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1985 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 1986 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.6 |
| 1987 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.7 |
| 1988 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| 1989 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| 1990 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.3 |
| 1991 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.3 |
| 1992 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| 1993 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.5 |
| 1994 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| 1995 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| 1996 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| 1997 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| 1999 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| 2000 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| 2001 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| 2002 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 6.0 |
| 2003 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.7 |
| 2004 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| 2005 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
| 2006 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| 2007 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
| 2008 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| 2009 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| 2010 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| 2011 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| 2012 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.9 |
| 2013 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.7 |
| 2014 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 2016 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 | – | – | – |