US unemployment
4.20 %
+0.1 pts month
The share of the American labour force without a job and actively looking for one, from a monthly household survey. It is one half of the Federal Reserve's mandate, so interest rates move with it.
Sep 2026 · 4.20 % · +0.10 pts vs the window’s open
the numbers23
| when | value | change |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 4.10 % | |
| Nov 2024 | 4.20 % | +0.10 pts |
| Dec 2024 | 4.10 % | −0.10 pts |
| Jan 2025low | 4.00 % | −0.10 pts |
| Feb 2025 | 4.20 % | +0.20 pts |
| Mar 2025 | 4.20 % | 0 pts |
| Apr 2025 | 4.20 % | 0 pts |
| May 2025 | 4.30 % | +0.10 pts |
| Jun 2025 | 4.10 % | −0.20 pts |
| Jul 2025 | 4.30 % | +0.20 pts |
| Aug 2025 | 4.30 % | 0 pts |
| Sep 2025 | 4.40 % | +0.10 pts |
| Nov 2025high | 4.50 % | +0.10 pts |
| Dec 2025 | 4.40 % | −0.10 pts |
| Jan 2026 | 4.30 % | −0.10 pts |
| Feb 2026 | 4.40 % | +0.10 pts |
| Mar 2026 | 4.30 % | −0.10 pts |
| Apr 2026 | 4.30 % | 0 pts |
| May 2026 | 4.30 % | 0 pts |
| Jun 2026 | 4.20 % | −0.10 pts |
| Jul 2026 | 4.10 % | −0.10 pts |
| Aug 2026 | 4.10 % | 0 pts |
| Sep 2026latest | 4.20 % | +0.10 pts |
Lately
Hiring nearly stalled: employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, too few to keep pace with the people looking for work. That leaves the Fed pulled two ways, since the NY Fed survey put short-term inflation expectations at a three-year high, and Hammack argued for smaller, frequent rate adjustments.