Final answer:
During the Great Depression's worst period, the US unemployment rate peaked at nearly 25%.
Step-by-step explanation:
The overall US unemployment rate during the worst period of the Great Depression reached almost 25% of the labor force. This was a time when the economic conditions were severe, with industrial output dropping by half, stock market assets losing more than half their value, thousands of banks failing, and the gross domestic product decreasing by one-quarter. The Great Depression was marked by extreme economic distress and pressure on the national government to coordinate a robust response with the states to alleviate the economic downturn.