St. Martin’s University
ECN 202 – December 16th 2016
U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT
AND THE ECONOMY
By Gene Perryman
Page 1
U.S. Unemployment and the Economy
The national unemployment rate has fluctuated throughout the years and never really
stays the same. The U.S. started officially keeping tracking of unemployment around the 50’s.
During The Great Depression, the U.S. had an unemployment rate of approximately 23 percent.
This was the highest it had been in a long time. During World War II, the unemployment rate
was approximately 1 percent being that the economy was thriving from all the war efforts. The
U.S. has overcome 11 recessions since these times. Each time the U.S. falls into a recession the
government creates different ways or slow or stop it all together. The unemployment rate
reached approximately 11 percent in the early 80’s. By 1992 it fell to approximately 7.5
percent, and maintain a steady decline until the Great Recession when it jumped back up to over
