Year

Unemployment Rate (%)

Difference From Previous Year

Presidential Elections

1935

20.1

-3.2%

1936: Incumbent FDR defeats challenger Landon

1936*

16.9

1939

17.2

-2.6%

1940: Incumbent FDR defeats challenger Willkie

1940*

14.6

1943

1.9

-0.7%

1944: Incumbent FDR defeats challenger Dewey

1944*

1.2

1947

3.9

-0.1%

1948: Incumbent Truman defeats challenger Dewey

1948*

3.8

1955

4.4

-0.3%

1956: Incumbent Eisenhower defeats challenger Stevenson

1956*

4.1

1963

5.7

-0.5%

1963: Incumbent LBJ defeats challenger Goldwater

1964*

5.2

1971

5.9

-0.3%

1972: Incumbent Nixon defeats challenger McGovern

1972*

5.6

1975

8.5

-0.8%

** 1976: Challenger Carter defeats incumbent Ford

1976*

7.7

1979

5.8

+1.3%

1980: Challenger Reagan defeats incumbent Carter

1980*

7.1

1983

9.6

-2.1%

1984: Incumbent Reagan defeats challenger Mondale

1984*

7.5

1991

6.8

+0.7%

1992: Challenger Clinton defeats incumbent Bush

1992*

7.5

1995

5.6

-0.2%

1996: Incumbent Clinton defeats challenger Dole

1996*

5.4

2003

6.0

-0.5%

2004: Incumbent Bush defeats challenger Kerry

2004*

5.5