US unemployment rate tracker
The US unemployment rate was 4.2% in September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with 4.1% in August 2026 and 4.4% a year earlier.
Last checked 27 October 2026. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.
Unemployment rate, last 24 reported months
| Month | Rate | Change on previous month | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 4.2% | +0.1 pts | −0.2 pts |
| August 2026 | 4.1% | ±0.0 pts | −0.2 pts |
| July 2026 | 4.1% | −0.1 pts | −0.2 pts |
| June 2026 | 4.2% | −0.1 pts | +0.1 pts |
| May 2026 | 4.3% | ±0.0 pts | ±0.0 pts |
| April 2026 | 4.3% | ±0.0 pts | +0.1 pts |
| March 2026 | 4.3% | −0.1 pts | +0.1 pts |
| February 2026 | 4.4% | +0.1 pts | +0.2 pts |
| January 2026 | 4.3% | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| December 2025 | 4.4% | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| November 2025 | 4.5% | – | +0.3 pts |
| September 2025 | 4.4% | +0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| August 2025 | 4.3% | ±0.0 pts | +0.1 pts |
| July 2025 | 4.3% | +0.2 pts | +0.1 pts |
| June 2025 | 4.1% | −0.2 pts | ±0.0 pts |
| May 2025 | 4.3% | +0.1 pts | +0.4 pts |
| April 2025 | 4.2% | ±0.0 pts | +0.3 pts |
| March 2025 | 4.2% | ±0.0 pts | +0.3 pts |
| February 2025 | 4.2% | +0.2 pts | +0.3 pts |
| January 2025 | 4.0% | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| December 2024 | 4.1% | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| November 2024 | 4.2% | +0.1 pts | +0.5 pts |
| October 2024 | 4.1% | ±0.0 pts | +0.2 pts |
| September 2024 | 4.1% | −0.1 pts | +0.4 pts |
Notes on the data
The unemployment rate is the share of the labour force that is jobless, available for work and actively looking for a job. It comes from the Current Population Survey, a monthly household survey run by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and is released in the monthly Employment Situation report.
There is no official rate for October 2025, when household survey data were not collected during the federal government shutdown; changes that need that month are left blank. Seasonally adjusted figures for recent years are revised each January.
The page is checked against the latest release every day. Changes are in percentage points and are calculated by MastheadWire from the official rates.
Suggested source citation: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate [UNRATE], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
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