US Unemployment Rate Dashboard

The US unemployment rate with the broader U-6 rate, labor force participation, employment-population ratio and weekly jobless claims.

Unemployment rate (U-3), Sep 1, 2026
4.20%
Change vs prior
+0.10%
Change vs a year ago
−0.20%
5-year high
4.70%
5-year low
3.40%

Unemployment rate (U-3) since 2000

Related series

U-6 underemployment rate U6RATE 7.60%

Labor force participation CIVPART 61.80%

Employment-population ratio EMRATIO 59.20%

Initial jobless claims ICSA 197k

Continuing claims CCSA 1,716k

Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) via the FinzData macro store, latest vintage. Monthly points; daily and weekly series show the last value of each month. Every series here is one API call with point-in-time vintages: c.macro("UNRATE", as_of="2026-10-13"). Get a free API key · Explore all dashboards

Think you can call the next print? Join the Release Forecast League: forecast CPI, payrolls and jobless claims against the community, scored minutes after each release.

Common questions

What does the unemployment rate measure?

The unemployment rate measures the share of workers without jobs who are actively seeking work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes it and policymakers watch it for labor market health.

Why is the unemployment rate important?

The unemployment rate is important because it reflects household income prospects and consumer demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics release influences expectations for policy.

When is the unemployment rate released?

The unemployment rate is released monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics alongside payroll data. Markets focus on the release day for directional clues.