Presidents › George H. W. Bush
Unemployment under George H. W. Bush
Unemployment rate · Republican · Jan 20, 1989 – Jan 20, 1993
Under George H. W. Bush, the unemployment rate went from 5.3% in Dec 1988 to 7.4% in Dec 1992, up 2.1 pts. That is +0.53 pts/yr, against −0.50 pts/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is the fastest rise of the 8 completed terms since 1977.
Share of the labor force that is jobless and actively looking for work (U-3, seasonally adjusted). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED UNRATE. Monthly data, fetched Oct 19, 2026. The chart runs from four years before the term to two years after it.
Unemployment under Bush, year by year
Highest reading during the term: 7.8% in Jun 1992. Lowest: 5.0% in Mar 1989.
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1988, before inauguration | 5.3% | |
| Dec 1989 | 5.4% | +0.1 pts |
| Dec 1990 | 6.3% | +0.9 pts |
| Dec 1991 | 7.3% | +1.0 pts |
| Dec 1992 | 7.4% | +0.1 pts |
Unemployment under every president
Terms sorted by yearly change, fastest rise first, each next to the trend over the four years before it. A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Fed and the world economy move this number too. Why nothing here is a score.
| President | During term | 4 years before |
|---|---|---|
| George H. W. Bush 1989–1993 | 5.3% → 7.4% +0.53 pts/yr | −0.50 pts/yr |
| Donald Trump (1st term) 2017–2021 | 4.7% → 6.7% +0.50 pts/yr | −0.80 pts/yr |
| George W. Bush 2001–2009 | 3.9% → 7.3% +0.43 pts/yr | −0.38 pts/yr |
| Donald Trump (2nd term) 2025–present | 4.1% → 4.2% +0.06 pts/yr · through Sep 2026 | −0.65 pts/yr |
| Jimmy Carter 1977–1981 | 7.8% → 7.2% −0.15 pts/yr | +0.65 pts/yr |
| Ronald Reagan 1981–1989 | 7.2% → 5.3% −0.24 pts/yr | −0.15 pts/yr |
| Barack Obama 2009–2017 | 7.3% → 4.7% −0.32 pts/yr | +0.47 pts/yr |
| Bill Clinton 1993–2001 | 7.4% → 3.9% −0.44 pts/yr | +0.53 pts/yr |
| Joe Biden 2021–2025 | 6.7% → 4.1% −0.65 pts/yr | +0.50 pts/yr |
Every term lined up from inauguration day on one chart · Unemployment rate by president since 1980