Recessions and peak unemployment rates since 1948

The Covid recession in 2020 only lasted two months, but it had the highest peak unemployment rate of any U.S. downturn since the end of World War II.

* Unemployment rate climbed even higher shortly after the recession officially ended.

Chart: Gabriel Cortes / CNBC Source: Recessions as defined by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Unemployment rates from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis via FRED.