Unemployment under Jimmy Carter
Unemployment rate · Democratic · Jan 20, 1977 – Jan 20, 1981
Under Jimmy Carter, the unemployment rate went from 7.8% in Dec 1976 to 7.2% in Dec 1980, down 0.6 pts. That is −0.15 pts/yr, against +0.65 pts/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is 4th of the 8 completed terms since 1977, counting from the fastest rise.
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 Carter, year by year
Highest reading during the term: 7.8% in Dec 1976. Lowest: 5.6% in May 1979.
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1976, before inauguration | 7.8% | |
| Dec 1977 | 6.4% | −1.4 pts |
| Dec 1978 | 6.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Dec 1979 | 6.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Dec 1980 | 7.2% | +1.2 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
- Oct 6, 1979 Federal ReserveVolcker 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.