# Unemployment under Ronald Reagan, 1981–1989

Source page: https://govargus.com/presidents/reagan/unemployment

Under Ronald Reagan, the unemployment rate went from 7.2% in Dec 1980 to 5.3% in Dec 1988, down 1.9 pts. That is −0.24 pts/yr, against −0.15 pts/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is the 4th-fastest fall of the 8 completed terms since 1977.

Unemployment rate: 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 (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE), fetched Oct 19, 2026.

## Year by year

Highest reading during the term: 10.8% in Nov 1982. Lowest: 5.3% in Nov 1988.

| Period | Value | Change |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dec 1980, before inauguration | 7.2% |  |
| Dec 1981 | 8.5% | +1.3 pts |
| Dec 1982 | 10.8% | +2.3 pts |
| Dec 1983 | 8.3% | −2.5 pts |
| Dec 1984 | 7.3% | −1.0 pts |
| Dec 1985 | 7.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Dec 1986 | 6.6% | −0.4 pts |
| Dec 1987 | 5.7% | −0.9 pts |
| Dec 1988 | 5.3% | −0.4 pts |

## Every term

Sorted by yearly change, fastest rise first. A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Federal Reserve and the world economy move these numbers too. Govargus describes; it does not score presidents.

| President | Term | 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 |