Unemployment under Barack Obama
Unemployment rate · Democratic · Jan 20, 2009 – Jan 20, 2017
Under Barack Obama, the unemployment rate went from 7.3% in Dec 2008 to 4.7% in Dec 2016, down 2.6 pts. That is −0.32 pts/yr, against +0.47 pts/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is the 3rd-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 Obama, year by year
Highest reading during the term: 10.0% in Oct 2009. Lowest: 4.7% in Nov 2016.
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2008, before inauguration | 7.3% | |
| Dec 2009 | 9.9% | +2.6 pts |
| Dec 2010 | 9.3% | −0.6 pts |
| Dec 2011 | 8.5% | −0.8 pts |
| Dec 2012 | 7.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Dec 2013 | 6.7% | −1.2 pts |
| Dec 2014 | 5.6% | −1.1 pts |
| Dec 2015 | 5.0% | −0.6 pts |
| Dec 2016 | 4.7% | −0.3 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
- Feb 17, 2009 LawAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act. About $800 billion in stimulus: tax cuts, aid to states, infrastructure and safety-net spending.