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Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Truman's presidency was about 4.24%. He was tasked with transitioning the economy after World War II without creating a major recession.

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Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) -

While unemployment rose to 7.9% in October 1949 because of a mild post-war recession, it quickly fell and remained under 3% through the rest of Truman's term.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Eisenhower was 4.93%. The economy went through three recessions during his two terms, but then remained relatively strong through the '50s. 

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Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) -

However, unemployment rose to 6.6% by the end of Eisenhower’s term in 1961 because of a recession that began in 1960. 

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John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) -

JFK's average annual unemployment rate was 5.96%. Unemployment was high from the previous administration, hovering at 6.9% when Kennedy took office.

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John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) - Kennedy helped end the 1960 recession by increasing domestic and military spending. He also increased the minimum wage and Social Security benefits. The unemployment rate was at 5.7% in November 1963 when he was assassinated.

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Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Johnson's presidency was 4.18%, the lowest so far.  

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Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) -

Johnson's Great Society programs, which included job training, a work-study program for college students, help for parents re-entering the workforce, and loans to employers to hire workers, helped boost the economy. 

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Richard M. Nixon (1913–1994) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Nixon's time in office was 5.03%. Inflation had started to increase in the late '60s, and Nixon wanted to decrease inflation without sending the economy into a recession.

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Richard Nixon (1913–1994) -

However, his economic policies led to a decade of stagflation, a period of high unemployment levels and high inflation. Unemployment levels had climbed up to 5.5% by the time Nixon resigned in 1974. 

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Gerald Ford (1913–2006) -

Ford inherited an economy battling stagflation and a recession that began in 1973. This is why his average annual unemployment rate was 7.76%, the highest to this day. 

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Gerald Ford (1913–2006) -

Ford did cut taxes and reduced regulation to stabilize the economy. While this ended the recession, inflation still remained elevated. 

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Jimmy Carter (1924-) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Carter's administration was 6.54%. Stagflation continued, but the unemployment rate slowly declined in the first half of his term.

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Jimmy Carter (1924-) -

Carter had Congress pass an Economic Stimulus Appropriations Act to boost the economy and create jobs. While this helped, inflation soared to double-digits due to an energy crisis in the Middle East, which led to gas shortages and rising prices. 

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Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) -

With an average annual unemployment rate of 7.51%, Reagan took office when the economy went into recession in 1981.

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Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) -

Unemployment, which was already elevated since Carter’s term, continued to rise and soared to a record of 10.8% by the end of 1982. Reagan's economic policies did, however, reduce unemployment, which fell below 6% in the late '80s. 

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George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Bush Sr.'s presidency was 6.34%. Unemployment rose steadily during his time in office, and he faced the fallout from the Savings and Loan Crisis. This led to a recession from 1990 to 1991.

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George H.W. Bush (1924–2018) -

In July 1992, unemployment rose to nearly 8%, and that same month, Bush signed the Unemployment Compensation Amendments, which extended unemployment benefits for an additional 26 weeks after the first 26 weeks.

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Bill Clinton (1946-) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Clinton's presidency was 5.17%.

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Bill Clinton (1946-) -

Unemployment levels declined steadily during his time in office, and the economy didn't experience any major recessions or wars.

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George W. Bush (1946–) -

The average annual unemployment rate during Bush's two terms was 5.31%. The 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 Great Recession all happened during his presidency. 

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George W. Bush (1946–) -

While unemployment was low at the start of Bush's term, it rose to nearly 8% at the end of it, making it the most severe recession since the Great Depression.

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Barack Obama (1961–) -

The average annual unemployment rate during Obama's presidency was 7.41%. He took office in the midst of the Great Recession, and unemployment continued to rise, hitting 10% in October 2009.

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Barack Obama (1961–) -

In 2009, Obama passed the US$831 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to end the recession, stimulate the economy, and help the job market recover. The unemployment rate went down to 4.6% in 2016 at the end of his presidency. 

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Donald Trump (1946-) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Trump's time in office was 5.04%. Unemployment remained low at the beginning of his term. However, the economy went into a severe recession at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and unemployment skyrocketed to a record high of about 14.7% in April 2020.

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Donald Trump (1946-) -

While businesses struggled amid the pandemic, unemployment slowly came back down under 10% toward the end of Trump's term.

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Joe Biden (1942-) -

The average annual unemployment rate under Biden's first term is 4.11%. In 2021, the president signed a US$1.9 trillion economic stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act, to help people and businesses recover from COVID-19. 

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Joe Biden (1942-) -

While unemployment dropped, inflation began to rise in 2022, leading the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to combat this rise. 

Sources: (Investopedia) (MSNBC) (Washington Post) 

© NL Beeld