Article · Jobs and income
US unemployment rate
In October 2026, 4.1% of the US labor force was out of work and looking for a job — below its average of 5.7% since 1948. The broadest measure, U-6, stood at 7.9%. Since 1948 the rate has ranged from 2.5% in May 1953 to 14.8% in April 2020.
4.4% in September 2025 · seasonally adjusted, ages 16 and over
adds part-timers who want full-time work and people who have stopped looking
in April 2020; the lowest, 2.5%, in May 1953
median 5.4%; under 4% in 16% of all months
against 2.6% for adults with a bachelor's degree and 5.8% without a high school diploma
The rate now: 4.1%
The unemployment rate counts people who had no job, were available for work and looked for one in the past four weeks, as a share of the labor force — everyone who works or looks for work. It comes from the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of households run for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In October 2026 the rate was 4.1%, down 0.1 pts from 4.2% in September 2026. The “jobs added” number of the monthly jobs report comes from a separate survey of employers: the change in payroll employment.
| Month | Unemployment rate | U-6 | Jobs added, thousands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 4.1% | 7.9% | +165 |
| Sep 2026 | 4.2% | 7.6% | +60 |
| Aug 2026 | 4.1% | 7.7% | +186 |
| Jul 2026 | 4.1% | 7.9% | −10 |
| Jun 2026 | 4.2% | 7.9% | +31 |
| May 2026 | 4.3% | 8.1% | +63 |
| Apr 2026 | 4.3% | 8.2% | +148 |
| Mar 2026 | 4.3% | 8.0% | +214 |
| Feb 2026 | 4.4% | 7.9% | −156 |
| Jan 2026 | 4.3% | 8.1% | +160 |
| Dec 2025 | 4.4% | 8.4% | −17 |
| Nov 2025 | 4.5% | 8.7% | +41 |
| Oct 2025 | — | — | −140 |
No unemployment figures were published for October 2025. Payroll figures for the latest months are revised later. Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Every month since 1948, one square each
Each square is one month, each row one year; the darker the square, the higher the rate. Of 945 months, 16% came in under 4%, and 15 months reached 10% or more — in 1982, 1983, 2009 and 2020.
By decade, the 1950s had the lowest average rate, 4.5%, and the 1980s the highest, 7.3%. Dots mark the months of recessions: the dark patches begin inside them and outlast them.
The calendar as a table: each year's average, low and high
| Year | Average | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202610 months of data | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 202511 months of data | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.5% |
| 2024 | 4.0% | 3.7% | 4.2% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.9% |
| 2022 | 3.6% | 3.5% | 4.0% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | 3.9% | 6.4% |
| 2020 | 8.1% | 3.5% | 14.8% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.0% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.1% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.1% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | 5.0% | 5.7% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | 5.6% | 6.7% |
| 2013 | 7.4% | 6.7% | 8.0% |
| 2012 | 8.1% | 7.7% | 8.3% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | 9.3% | 9.9% |
| 2009 | 9.3% | 7.8% | 10.0% |
| 2008 | 5.8% | 4.9% | 7.3% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | 4.4% | 5.0% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.8% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | 5.7% | 6.3% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | 5.7% | 6.0% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.7% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| 1999 | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| 1997 | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| 1996 | 5.4% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 1995 | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.8% |
| 1994 | 6.1% | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| 1993 | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7.3% |
| 1992 | 7.5% | 7.3% | 7.8% |
| 1991 | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.3% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | 5.2% | 6.3% |
| 1989 | 5.3% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| 1988 | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.7% |
| 1987 | 6.2% | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| 1986 | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.2% |
| 1985 | 7.2% | 7.0% | 7.4% |
| 1984 | 7.5% | 7.2% | 8.0% |
| 1983 | 9.6% | 8.3% | 10.4% |
| 1982 | 9.7% | 8.6% | 10.8% |
| 1981 | 7.6% | 7.2% | 8.5% |
| 1980 | 7.2% | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| 1979 | 5.9% | 5.6% | 6.0% |
| 1978 | 6.1% | 5.8% | 6.4% |
| 1977 | 7.0% | 6.4% | 7.6% |
| 1976 | 7.7% | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| 1975 | 8.5% | 8.1% | 9.0% |
| 1974 | 5.6% | 5.1% | 7.2% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.0% |
| 1972 | 5.6% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| 1971 | 6.0% | 5.8% | 6.1% |
| 1970 | 5.0% | 3.9% | 6.1% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.7% |
| 1968 | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| 1967 | 3.8% | 3.8% | 4.0% |
| 1966 | 3.8% | 3.6% | 4.0% |
| 1965 | 4.5% | 4.0% | 5.1% |
| 1964 | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.6% |
| 1963 | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.9% |
| 1962 | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.8% |
| 1961 | 6.7% | 6.0% | 7.1% |
| 1960 | 5.5% | 4.8% | 6.6% |
| 1959 | 5.5% | 5.0% | 6.0% |
| 1958 | 6.8% | 5.8% | 7.5% |
| 1957 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| 1956 | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.4% |
| 1955 | 4.4% | 4.0% | 4.9% |
| 1954 | 5.6% | 4.9% | 6.1% |
| 1953 | 2.9% | 2.5% | 4.5% |
| 1952 | 3.0% | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| 1951 | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.7% |
| 1950 | 5.2% | 4.2% | 6.5% |
| 1949 | 6.0% | 4.3% | 7.9% |
| 1948 | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.0% |
Recessions: up by the elevator, down by the stairs
Unemployment rose in each of the 12 recessions since 1948, by 1.5 pts to 11.3 pts. It took a median of 14 months to reach its high, and in 8 of them the rate was still rising after the recession had officially ended.
The way back took longer. Where the rate returned to its level at the start of the recession, that took a median of 2 years after the high; in 6 of the 12 recessions it never got back before the next one began. The 2020 recession was the sharpest: from 3.5% to 14.8% in 2 months. The slowest return followed 2007–09: 6 years from the high.
The recessions as a table
| Recession | Rate at the start | Highest | Rise | Time to the high | Back to the starting rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–49Dec 1948 – Oct 1949 | 3.8% | 7.9%Oct 1949 | +4.1 pts | 11 months | 15 monthsJan 1951 |
| 1953–54Aug 1953 – May 1954 | 2.6% | 6.1%Sep 1954 | +3.5 pts | 14 months | not before the next recession |
| 1957–58Sep 1957 – Apr 1958 | 4.1% | 7.5%Jul 1958 | +3.4 pts | 11 months | not before the next recession |
| 1960–61May 1960 – Feb 1961 | 5.2% | 7.1%May 1961 | +1.9 pts | 13 months | 3 yearsMay 1964 |
| 1969–70Jan 1970 – Nov 1970 | 3.5% | 6.1%Dec 1970 | +2.6 pts | 12 months | not before the next recession |
| 1973–75Dec 1973 – Mar 1975 | 4.8% | 9.0%May 1975 | +4.2 pts | 18 months | not before the next recession |
| 1980Feb 1980 – Jul 1980 | 6.3% | 7.8%Jul 1980 | +1.5 pts | 6 months | not before the next recession |
| 1981–82Aug 1981 – Nov 1982 | 7.2% | 10.8%Nov 1982 | +3.6 pts | 16 months | 19 monthsJun 1984 |
| 1990–91Aug 1990 – Mar 1991 | 5.5% | 7.8%Jun 1992 | +2.3 pts | 23 months | 2 yearsDec 1994 |
| 2001Apr 2001 – Nov 2001 | 4.3% | 6.3%Jun 2003 | +2.0 pts | 2 years | not before the next recession |
| 2007–09Jan 2008 – Jun 2009 | 5.0% | 10.0%Oct 2009 | +5.0 pts | 22 months | 6 yearsSep 2015 |
| 2020Mar 2020 – Apr 2020 | 3.5% | 14.8%Apr 2020 | +11.3 pts | 2 months | 2 yearsJul 2022 |
U-3 and U-6: the official rate and the broadest one
The headline rate is U-3. U-6 also counts people who work part time but want full-time work, and people who want a job and looked for one in the past year but not in the past four weeks — including those who gave up because they believed no work was available.
In October 2026 U-6 was 7.9%, 3.8 pts above U-3. Since 1994 it has ranged from 6.6% in December 2022 to 22.9% in April 2020; the gap between the two was widest, 8.1 pts, in April 2020.
Who is hit hardest
The young and those with less schooling are out of work most often, and recessions hit them hardest. In October 2026 teenagers aged 16–19 had an unemployment rate of 13.9%, 3.4 times the overall 4.1%; for ages 20–24 it was 7.5%.
Among adults 25 and over, the rate was 5.8% without a high school diploma and 2.6% with a bachelor's degree or more — 2.2 times higher, a gap of 3.2 pts. At their highs in the 2007–09 recession the two rates were 15.8% and 5.0%, 10.8 pts apart; in 2020, 21.2% and 8.4%, 12.8 pts apart. For degree holders the highest month since 1992 was 8.4%.
The chart as a table
| Group | Oct 2026 | High, 2007–09 recession | High, 2020 recession | Range since 1992 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teenagers 16–19 | 13.9% | 27.2% | 32.8% | 9.4% – 32.8% |
| Ages 20–24 | 7.5% | 17.2% | 25.5% | 5.5% – 25.5% |
| Everyone 16+ | 4.1% | 10.0% | 14.8% | 3.4% – 14.8% |
| No high school diploma | 5.8% | 15.8% | 21.2% | 4.3% – 21.2% |
| High school, no college | 3.8% | 11.0% | 17.7% | 3.2% – 17.7% |
| Some college or associate degree | 3.9% | 8.9% | 15.5% | 2.4% – 15.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2.6% | 5.0% | 8.4% | 1.5% – 8.4% |
People outside the count
Someone who wants a job but has not looked for one in the past four weeks is not unemployed in the official count: they are outside the labor force, along with students, retirees and people caring for family. That is why the rate can fall when people stop looking.
The labor force participation rate is the share of the population 16 and over that works or looks for work: 61.9% in October 2026, against a high of 67.3% in January 2000 and a low of 58.1% in December 1954.
Questions people ask
What is the US unemployment rate right now?
4.1% in October 2026, down 0.1 pts from 4.2% in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted). The broader U-6 rate was 7.9%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes each month's figures early in the following month, in its Employment Situation report.
What was the highest unemployment rate in US history?
In the official monthly series, which starts in 1948: 14.8% in April 2020. Unemployment in the Great Depression of the 1930s was higher, but those figures are later estimates from other sources and are not part of this series.
What was the lowest unemployment rate?
2.5% in May 1953. Over the last 50 years the lowest was 3.4%, last seen in April 2023.
What is the difference between U-3 and U-6?
U-3, the official rate, counts people without a job who looked for one in the past four weeks. U-6 adds people working part time who want full-time work and people who looked in the past year but have stopped. In October 2026: U-3 4.1%, U-6 7.9%.
Who has the highest unemployment rate?
By age, teenagers: 13.9% for ages 16–19 in October 2026. By education, adults without a high school diploma: 5.8%, against 3.8% for high school graduates, 3.9% with some college and 2.6% with a bachelor's degree.
Go deeper
How the numbers are calculated
- Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Current Population Survey (unemployment and participation rates) and Current Employment Statistics (payroll employment) — retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: series UNRATE, U6RATE, LNS14027659, LNS14027660, LNS14027689, LNS14027662, LNS14000012, LNS14000036, CIVPART and PAYEMS. US government data, in the public domain.
- Recession months as dated by the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee: a recession runs from the month after the business-cycle peak to the trough. The NBER dates turning points months after they happen, so a recession that began recently may not be marked yet.
- All rates are monthly, seasonally adjusted figures as published; nothing is smoothed. Education groups are ages 25 and over; all other rates are for ages 16 and over.
- Rise and return: the start is the rate in the peak month; the high is the highest rate from then to 24 months after the trough, or to the start of the next recession if that comes first; the return is the first month after the high with a rate at or below the starting rate, before the next recession began.
- Payroll employment for the latest months is revised in the following months and again once a year; seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are revised each January for the past five years.
- History, not a forecast. Nothing here is investment advice.