Go to bls.gov, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site, and download monthly unemployment data for the years 2005 to 2010. Click on the Databases & Tables tab at the top, and select Top Picks on the left.
Select Unemployment Rate and click Retrieve data at the bottom of the page.
What was the change in the unemployment rate from its low in 2005 to its peak in 2009? How does this compare with Reinhart and Rogoff's average data from post-World War II recessions?