Unemployment under Bill Clinton
Unemployment rate · Democratic · Jan 20, 1993 – Jan 20, 2001
Under Bill Clinton, the unemployment rate went from 7.4% in Dec 1992 to 3.9% in Dec 2000, down 3.5 pts. That is −0.44 pts/yr, against +0.53 pts/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is the 2nd-fastest fall 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 Clinton, year by year
Highest reading during the term: 7.4% in Dec 1992. Lowest: 3.8% in Apr 2000.
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1992, before inauguration | 7.4% | |
| Dec 1993 | 6.5% | −0.9 pts |
| Dec 1994 | 5.5% | −1.0 pts |
| Dec 1995 | 5.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Dec 1996 | 5.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Dec 1997 | 4.7% | −0.7 pts |
| Dec 1998 | 4.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Dec 1999 | 4.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Dec 2000 | 3.9% | −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