Unemployment under George W. Bush
Unemployment rate · Republican · Jan 20, 2001 – Jan 20, 2009
Under George W. Bush, the unemployment rate went from 3.9% in Dec 2000 to 7.3% in Dec 2008, up 3.4 pts. That is +0.43 pts/yr, against −0.38 pts/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is the 3rd-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: 7.3% in Dec 2008. Lowest: 3.9% in Dec 2000.
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2000, before inauguration | 3.9% | |
| Dec 2001 | 5.7% | +1.8 pts |
| Dec 2002 | 6.0% | +0.3 pts |
| Dec 2003 | 5.7% | −0.3 pts |
| Dec 2004 | 5.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Dec 2005 | 4.9% | −0.5 pts |
| Dec 2006 | 4.4% | −0.5 pts |
| Dec 2007 | 5.0% | +0.6 pts |
| Dec 2008 | 7.3% | +2.3 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
Events during the term that bear on unemployment
- Sep 15, 2008 ShockLehman Brothers collapses. The financial crisis peaks; the Great Recession deepens.