Unemployment rate by education U.S. 2022

In 2022, around 5.5 percent of people aged 25 and older who had less than a high school diploma, were unemployed. After relatively high levels of unemployment across all education groups in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment levels have decreased in the subsequent years.

The monthly unemployment rate in the U.S. can be accessed here and the unemployment rate for each U.S. state can be accessed here.

Unemployment rate in the United States from 1992-2022, by level of education

Characteristic	Less than a high school diploma	High school graduates, no college	Some college, no degree	Associate degree	Bachelor's degree and higher
2022	5.5%	4%	3.5%	2.7%	2%
2021	8.3%	6.2%	5.5%	4.6%	3.1%
2020	11.7%	9%	8.3%	7.1%	4.8%
2019	5.4%	3.7%	3.3%	2.7%	2.1%
2018	5.6%	4.1%	3.7%	2.8%	2.1%
2017	6.5%	4.6%	4%	3.4%	2.3%
2016	7.4%	5.2%	4.4%	3.6%	2.5%
2015	8%	5.4%	5%	3.8%	2.6%
2014	9%	6%	6%	4.5%	3.2%
2013	11%	7.5%	7%	5.4%	3.7%
2012	12.4%	8.3%	7.7%	6.2%	4%
2011	14.1%	9.4%	8.7%	6.8%	4.3%
2010	14.9%	10.3%	9.2%	7%	4.7%
2009	14.6%	9.7%	8.6%	6.8%	4.6%
2008	9%	5.7%	5.1%	3.7%	2.6%
2007	7.1%	4.4%	3.8%	3%	2%
2006	6.8%	4.3%	3.9%	3%	2%
2005	7.6%	4.7%	4.2%	3.3%	2.3%
2004	8.5%	5%	4.5%	3.7%	2.7%
2003	8.8%	5.5%	5.2%	4%	3.1%
2002	8.4%	5.3%	4.8%	4%	2.9%
2001	7.2%	4.2%	3.5%	2.9%	2.3%
2000	6.3%	3.4%	2.9%	2.3%	1.7%
1999	6.7%	3.5%	3%	2.5%	1.8%
1998	7.1%	4%	3.2%	2.5%	1.8%
1997	8.1%	4.3%	3.5%	2.7%	2%
1996	8.7%	4.7%	4%	3.3%	2.2%
1995	9%	4.8%	4.3%	3.3%	2.4%
1994	9.8%	5.4%	4.7%	3.8%	2.6%
1993	10.8%	6.3%	5.6%	4.4%	2.9%
1992	11.5%	6.8%	6%	4.8%	3.2%