January 9, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent in December 2011
Unemployment rate, and number of unemployed, seasonally adjusted, January 2008–December 2011
| Month |
Number of unemployed |
Unemployment rate |
Jan 2008 |
7,678,000 |
5.0 |
Feb 2008 |
7,491,000 |
4.9 |
Mar 2008 |
7,816,000 |
5.1 |
Apr 2008 |
7,631,000 |
5.0 |
May 2008 |
8,395,000 |
5.4 |
Jun 2008 |
8,578,000 |
5.6 |
Jul 2008 |
8,950,000 |
5.8 |
Aug 2008 |
9,450,000 |
6.1 |
Sep 2008 |
9,501,000 |
6.1 |
Oct 2008 |
10,083,000 |
6.5 |
Nov 2008 |
10,544,000 |
6.8 |
Dec 2008 |
11,299,000 |
7.3 |
Jan 2009 |
12,049,000 |
7.8 |
Feb 2009 |
12,860,000 |
8.3 |
Mar 2009 |
13,389,000 |
8.7 |
Apr 2009 |
13,796,000 |
8.9 |
May 2009 |
14,505,000 |
9.4 |
Jun 2009 |
14,727,000 |
9.5 |
Jul 2009 |
14,646,000 |
9.5 |
Aug 2009 |
14,861,000 |
9.6 |
Sep 2009 |
15,012,000 |
9.8 |
Oct 2009 |
15,421,000 |
10.0 |
Nov 2009 |
15,227,000 |
9.9 |
Dec 2009 |
15,124,000 |
9.9 |
Jan 2010 |
14,953,000 |
9.7 |
Feb 2010 |
15,039,000 |
9.8 |
Mar 2010 |
15,128,000 |
9.8 |
Apr 2010 |
15,221,000 |
9.9 |
May 2010 |
14,876,000 |
9.6 |
Jun 2010 |
14,517,000 |
9.4 |
Jul 2010 |
14,609,000 |
9.5 |
Aug 2010 |
14,735,000 |
9.6 |
Sep 2010 |
14,574,000 |
9.5 |
Oct 2010 |
14,636,000 |
9.5 |
Nov 2010 |
15,104,000 |
9.8 |
Dec 2010 |
14,393,000 |
9.4 |
Jan 2011 |
13,919,000 |
9.1 |
Feb 2011 |
13,751,000 |
9.0 |
Mar 2011 |
13,628,000 |
8.9 |
Apr 2011 |
13,792,000 |
9.0 |
May 2011 |
13,892,000 |
9.0 |
Jun 2011 |
14,024,000 |
9.1 |
Jul 2011 |
13,908,000 |
9.1 |
Aug 2011 |
13,920,000 |
9.1 |
Sep 2011 |
13,897,000 |
9.0 |
Oct 2011 |
13,759,000 |
8.9 |
Nov 2011 |
13,323,000 |
8.7 |
Dec 2011 |
13,097,000 |
8.5 |
These data featured in the TED article, Unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent in December 2011.
OF INTEREST
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
United States Department of Labor
