Economy, crime and health under Jimmy Carter

Democratic · Jan 20, 1977 – Jan 20, 1981

Each chart shows the four years before the term and two years after it, with the term highlighted. Use the before-and-after comparison as context, not a verdict. Congress, the Fed, the global economy and the previous administration's policies all move these numbers.

Economy

Unemployment rate

During term: 7.8% → 7.2%
−0.15 pts/yr
4 years before: +0.65 pts/yr

Nonfarm payroll jobs

During term: 80.4 million jobs → 90.9 million jobs
+2.62 million jobs/yr
4 years before: +1.29 million jobs/yr

Real GDP growth

During term: avg 3.2%
4 years before: avg 1.8%

Inflation (CPI, year over year)

During term: avg 9.8%
4 years before: avg 8.1%

Labor force participation

During term: 61.8% → 63.6%
+0.45 pts/yr
4 years before: +0.32 pts/yr

Households

Real median weekly earnings (1982–84 $)

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Gasoline price (regular, per gallon)

During term: $0.63 → $1.26
+$0.16/yr
4 years before: —

Egg prices (grade A large, per dozen)

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

30-year mortgage rate

During term: 8.79% → 14.79%
+1.50 pts/yr
4 years before: +0.34 pts/yr

Real median household income

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Series starts after this term.

Poverty rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Series starts after this term.

Federal budget

Federal surplus or deficit (% of GDP)

During term: avg −2.2%
4 years before: avg −2.5%

Federal debt (% of GDP)

During term: 33.8% → 31.2%
−0.66 pts/yr
4 years before: +0.01 pts/yr

National debt (dollars)

During term: $0.65 trillion → $0.93 trillion
+$0.07 trillion/yr
4 years before: +$0.05 trillion/yr

Public safety

Violent crime rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Property crime rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Murder rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Firearm death rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Series starts after this term.

Health

Life expectancy at birth

During term: 72.9 years → 73.6 years
+0.19 years/yr
4 years before: +0.43 years/yr

Drug overdose death rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Series starts after this term.

Uninsured rate

During term: no data
4 years before: no data

Series starts after this term.

Tracked events during the term

Oct 6, 1979 Federal Reserve
Volcker Fed shifts to targeting money supply. The Federal Reserve under Paul Volcker lets interest rates soar to break inflation, setting up the 1980–82 recessions.

Policy record

substantive public laws signed · plus 0 naming or commemorative

Partial: law records before 1981 are still being backfilled.

—

executive orders signed

The Federal Register's machine-readable record starts in 1994.