The US unemployment rate
The latest figure, for August 2026, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics published it. The next one is in the Employment Situation report — see the BLS release schedule.
In short
The US unemployment rate was 4.1% in August 2026, seasonally adjusted — unchanged from the month before and down 0.2 points from a year earlier.
Over the past 24 months it ranged from 0.0% to 4.5%.
| Month | Rate | Change |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4.1% | 0.0 points |
| July 2026 | 4.1% | −0.1 points |
| June 2026 | 4.2% | −0.1 points |
| May 2026 | 4.3% | 0.0 points |
| April 2026 | 4.3% | 0.0 points |
| March 2026 | 4.3% | −0.1 points |
| February 2026 | 4.4% | +0.1 points |
| January 2026 | 4.3% | −0.1 points |
| December 2025 | 4.4% | −0.1 points |
| November 2025 | 4.5% | +4.5 points |
| October 2025 | — | −4.4 points |
| September 2025 | 4.4% | +0.1 points |
| August 2025 | 4.3% | 0.0 points |
| July 2025 | 4.3% | +0.2 points |
| June 2025 | 4.1% | −0.2 points |
| May 2025 | 4.3% | +0.1 points |
| April 2025 | 4.2% | 0.0 points |
| March 2025 | 4.2% | 0.0 points |
| February 2025 | 4.2% | +0.2 points |
| January 2025 | 4.0% | −0.1 points |
| December 2024 | 4.1% | −0.1 points |
| November 2024 | 4.2% | +0.1 points |
| October 2024 | 4.1% | 0.0 points |
| September 2024 | 4.1% | — |
What it measures
The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force — people who have a job or are looking for one — who are out of work and actively looking. It comes from the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of about 60,000 households, and is published in the Employment Situation report, usually on the first Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
Because it is already a percentage, its change is given in percentage points: a move from 4.0% to 4.2% is a rise of 0.2 points. The figure here is seasonally adjusted, as the headline is. People who have stopped looking for work are not counted as unemployed, which is why the rate can fall while hiring is weak.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov. Series LNS14000000, seasonally adjusted.
More on the economy
Questions
What is the US unemployment rate now?
4.1% in August 2026, seasonally adjusted, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When is the unemployment rate released?
In the Employment Situation report, usually on the first Friday of each month at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the exact dates on its release schedule.
Why is the change given in points and not percent?
The rate is already a percentage, so a change is quoted in percentage points: from 4.0% to 4.2% is a rise of 0.2 points. Saying 5% would describe the change relative to 4.0%, which is not how the figure is reported.
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