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The unemployment rate in October 2018 was 3.7 percent, down from 4.1 percent in October 2017. Unemployment rates by age in October 2018 ranged from 2.7 percent for people ages 45 to 54 years (the same as a year earlier) to 8.3 percent for people ages 16 to 24 (down slightly from October 2017).
| Characteristic | Unemployment rate, October 2017 | Unemployment rate, October 2018 | 12-month change, October 2017 to October 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total, age 16 years and over |
4.1% | 3.7% | -0.4% |
|
Age |
|||
|
16 to 24 years |
9.0 | 8.3 | -0.7 |
|
25 to 34 years |
4.4 | 3.6 | -0.8 |
|
35 to 44 years |
3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
|
45 to 54 years |
2.7 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
|
55 years and over |
3.1 | 2.8 | -0.3 |
|
Educational attainment, age 25 years and over |
|||
|
Less than a high school diploma |
6.1 | 6.0 | -0.1 |
|
High school graduates, no college |
4.3 | 4.0 | -0.3 |
|
Some college or associate degree |
3.6 | 3.0 | -0.6 |
|
Bachelor's degree and higher |
2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
|
Race and ethtnicity |
|||
|
White |
3.5 | 3.3 | -0.2 |
|
Black or African American |
7.3 | 6.2 | -1.1 |
|
Asian |
3.0 | 3.2 | 0.2 |
|
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity |
4.8 | 4.4 | -0.4 |
|
Sex |
|||
|
Men |
4.2 | 3.8 | -0.4 |
|
Women |
3.9 | 3.7 | -0.2 |
Among people age 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher, the unemployment rate was 2.0 percent in October 2018, unchanged from a year earlier. The jobless rate for those with less than a high school diploma was 6.0 percent in October 2018, about the same as a year earlier.
Among people 16 and over, Asians and Whites had unemployment rates of 3.2 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, in October 2018. The rate for Blacks or African Americans was 6.2 percent, down by 1.1 percentage points from the October 2017 rate. The rate for people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity was 4.4 percent in October 2018.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. See "The Employment Situation — October 2018" for more information. Also see more charts on unemployment and the labor force. People whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rate 2.7 percent for people ages 45 to 54, 8.3 percent for 16 to 24 in October 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/unemployment-rate-2-point-7-percent-for-people-ages-45-to-54-8-point-3-percent-for-ages-16-to-24-in-october-2018.htm (visited October 30, 2024).