A recession is defined by the National Bureau of Economic Research as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy.” Beyond this common definition, each U.S. recession since World War II has unfolded under a unique historical context and run a different course. The tools here let you compare how employment and output fell and recovered with each recession, and zoom in on how each recession played out across sectors of the economy. Outcomes are shown in relation to the onset of the recession.
Change in employment by industry
Note: The industry-level charts will be updated only with historical revisions for prior recessions.
About the data
The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research determines the dates of U.S. recessions. This page does not provide forecasts and should not be interpreted as such.