Monthly comparison of unadjusted unemployment rates for native-born and foreign-born workers, age 16 and over. Data sourced directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007–2026.
Foreign-born workers were hit harder by the 2008–2009 recession. Their unemployment rate peaked around 11% in early 2010 while native-born peaked near 10.3%. Throughout the recovery, foreign-born unemployment remained elevated above native-born in most months.
A structural shift emerges after 2014: native-born unemployment consistently runs above foreign-born. By 2019, foreign-born unemployment had fallen to historic lows (sub-3% in several months) while native-born remained roughly 0.5–1 point higher throughout the period.
Both groups saw dramatic April 2020 spikes. Foreign-born workers reached 16.5% vs. 14.0% for native-born — a 2.5-point gap. The disparity narrowed quickly through 2021, with foreign-born recovering faster than native-born in many months of that year.
| Year | Native-Born Avg | Foreign-Born Avg | Difference (N−F) | Months Native Higher | Months Foreign Higher |
|---|
Both series are unadjusted (not seasonally adjusted), meaning they reflect raw monthly unemployment counts without smoothing for seasonal patterns. Unemployment typically rises in January and peaks in summer months due to seasonal labor market patterns — compare the same month across years for the most accurate picture.
The October 2025 data point is unavailable for both series due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations (footnote 9). January 2026 estimates were revised to incorporate updated population controls (footnote 12).
Sources: BLS Series LNU04073413 (Native-Born) and LNU04073395 (Foreign-Born) · Retrieved May 2026
This research is produced independently — one person, 23 years of data work, living on $1,419/month in Social Security. If these tools have been useful to you, a small donation genuinely makes a difference.