PolitiKool
Discourse from America’s online town square
Sunday, October 11, 2026

Unemployment

The share of the labor force out of work and looking.

U.S. Unemployment Rate Today, Oct. 11, 2026: 4.2% · Sep 1, 2026 · 4.3% a year ago.

  • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED. Monthly since January 2021.
  • The full series and the latest readings are below.
  • PolitiKool tracks this figure continuously and charts how it has moved.

Latest reading

4.2% · Sep 1, 2026 · 4.3% a year ago

Trend

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED. Monthly since January 2021.

All readings

DateRate
Sep 1, 20264.2%
Aug 1, 20264.1%
Jul 1, 20264.1%
Jun 1, 20264.2%
May 1, 20264.3%
Apr 1, 20264.3%
Mar 1, 20264.3%
Feb 1, 20264.4%
Jan 1, 20264.3%
Dec 1, 20254.4%
Nov 1, 20254.5%
Sep 1, 20254.4%
Aug 1, 20254.3%
Jul 1, 20254.3%
Jun 1, 20254.1%
May 1, 20254.3%
Apr 1, 20254.2%
Mar 1, 20254.2%
Feb 1, 20254.2%
Jan 1, 20254.0%
Dec 1, 20244.1%
Nov 1, 20244.2%
Oct 1, 20244.1%
Sep 1, 20244.1%
Aug 1, 20244.2%
Jul 1, 20244.2%
Jun 1, 20244.1%
May 1, 20243.9%
Apr 1, 20243.9%
Mar 1, 20243.9%
Feb 1, 20243.9%
Jan 1, 20243.7%
Dec 1, 20233.8%
Nov 1, 20233.7%
Oct 1, 20233.9%
Sep 1, 20233.7%
Aug 1, 20233.7%
Jul 1, 20233.5%
Jun 1, 20233.6%
May 1, 20233.6%
Apr 1, 20233.4%
Mar 1, 20233.5%
Feb 1, 20233.6%
Jan 1, 20233.5%
Dec 1, 20223.5%
Nov 1, 20223.6%
Oct 1, 20223.6%
Sep 1, 20223.5%
Aug 1, 20223.6%
Jul 1, 20223.5%
Jun 1, 20223.6%
May 1, 20223.6%
Apr 1, 20223.7%
Mar 1, 20223.7%
Feb 1, 20223.9%
Jan 1, 20224.0%
Dec 1, 20213.9%
Nov 1, 20214.1%
Oct 1, 20214.5%
Sep 1, 20214.7%
Aug 1, 20215.1%
Jul 1, 20215.4%
Jun 1, 20215.9%
May 1, 20215.8%
Apr 1, 20216.1%
Mar 1, 20216.1%
Feb 1, 20216.2%
Jan 1, 20216.4%