Historical Year Data · 1999
Unemployment Rate (U3) in 1999
Unemployment Rate (U3) opened 1999 at 4.30% and closed at 4.00%, a -6.98% move for the year. The high of 4.40% was reached on February 1, and the low of 4.00% on December 1.
Open
4.30%
1999-01
Close
4.00%
12 data points
High
4.40%
Feb 1
Low
4.00%
Dec 1
Full Year Change
-6.98%
1998 Change
-4.35%
Monthly Breakdown
| Month | Open | Close | High | Low | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | +0.00% |
| Feb | 4.40% | 4.40% | 4.40% | 4.40% | +0.00% |
| Mar | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | +0.00% |
| Apr | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | +0.00% |
| May | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | +0.00% |
| Jun | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | +0.00% |
| Jul | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | 4.30% | +0.00% |
| Aug | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | +0.00% |
| Sep | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | 4.20% | +0.00% |
| Oct | 4.10% | 4.10% | 4.10% | 4.10% | +0.00% |
| Nov | 4.10% | 4.10% | 4.10% | 4.10% | +0.00% |
| Dec | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% | 4.00% | +0.00% |
Events During 1999
1990 Japanese Bubble Collapse
Deflation
January 1990 – 2003
The Nikkei 225 peaked at 38,957 on December 29, 1989, then fell 82% over 13 years. Japan entered its "lost decades" of deflation, zero rates, and structural stagnation that still shapes global markets today.
1998 Euro Launch & 1999 Introduction
Goldilocks
May 1998 – January 2002
Eleven European Union members locked exchange rates on January 1, 1999, creating the euro as a virtual currency. Physical notes and coins circulated from January 1, 2002. The euro became the largest monetary experiment since Bretton Woods.
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