President Obama took office on January 20, 2009 in the midst of the Great Recession. Unemployment was skyrocketing as businesses were cutting jobs left and right when they realized that the economy was unlikely to recover soon. Unemployment peaked at 10.3% in October 2009 (it would later be revised to 10%), the worst in 26 years.

Today unemployment is now back at 5% -- a level experts consider "normal" for a healthy economy.