Volcker's Fed was responsible for ending the United States' inflation crisis of the early 1980s. This was achieved by constricting the money supply through a sharp increase in interest rates. In addition to disinflation, this policy caused a severe recession and the worst unemployment since World War II. By 1985 the economy was nearly back to full employment, and inflation was considerably lower: from 9 percent in 1980 to 3.2 percent in 1983.