US unemployment rate
Share of the labour force without a job and looking for one.
- Latest
- 4.2%
- Previous
- 4.1%
- Change
- +0.1 pp
- Frequency
- Monthly
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US unemployment rate
Share of the labour force without a job and looking for one.
- Unemployment rate
- 4.2%
Data table
| Period | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 4.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 4.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 4.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 4.2% |
| May 2026 | 4.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 4.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 4.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 4.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 4.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 4.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 4.5% |
| Sep 2025 | 4.4% |
About this indicator
- What it measures
- Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force (those working or looking for work), aged 16 and over.
- How it is calculated
- From the Current Population Survey of about 60,000 households, seasonally adjusted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- How to read it
- A rising rate signals a weakening labour market. The Sahm rule flags the early stage of a recession when the three-month average rises 0.5 percentage points above its lowest level of the previous 12 months.
- Caveats
- It is a survey estimate with a margin of error of about 0.2 percentage points. The October 2025 survey was not conducted during the federal government shutdown, so that month is missing.
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Typical release
- Monthly in the Employment Situation report, usually on the first Friday of the following month at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Sources
- Unemployment Rate View at the source (opens in a new tab)
Recent observations
Newest first. For a calculated figure, the source value it comes from is shown beside it.
| Period | Unemployment rate | First recorded here |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 4.2% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Aug 2026 | 4.1% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jul 2026 | 4.1% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jun 2026 | 4.2% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| May 2026 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Apr 2026 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Mar 2026 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Feb 2026 | 4.4% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jan 2026 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Dec 2025 | 4.4% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Nov 2025 | 4.5% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Sep 2025 | 4.4% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Aug 2025 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jul 2025 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jun 2025 | 4.1% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| May 2025 | 4.3% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Apr 2025 | 4.2% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Mar 2025 | 4.2% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Feb 2025 | 4.2% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Jan 2025 | 4.0% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Dec 2024 | 4.1% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Nov 2024 | 4.2% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Oct 2024 | 4.1% | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Sep 2024 | 4.1% | 20 Oct 2026 |
Revisions
We record a revision when a value we already hold changes at the source. Tracking began on 20 Oct 2026, so revisions made before then are not shown, and figures are in the source's own units.
No revisions detected
No stored value has changed since tracking began.
Related indicators
United States · Growth and employment