We present a plot of unemployment rates in the United States from to , before shutdowns due to COVID started impacting jobs. It demonstrates approximately linear decay during this time, with an R2 value of . While President Trump's claim that unemployment rates during his presidency were lower than under the Obama administration, we do not see evidence that this was impacted by President Trump's policy, as rates continued to follow a general decreasing trend.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Website
Note that unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted in the source data.
Use the buttons below to view data color-coded by president, or by months where unemployment rates are under/over the trendline.
| President | Months Under Trend | Total Months | Percentage Months Under Trend* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obama | |||
| Trump | |||
| * A higher percentage is better | |||