Unemployment

The share of the labor force that is unemployed and actively seeking work.

Click the D to destroy this indicator.

CURRENT4.20%% • September 2026

PRIOR MOVE+0.10 ppvs prior month

VS YEAR AGO-0.20 ppchange in displayed metric

10-YEAR POSITION65thpercentile rank

Unemployment history

% • normalized monthly

120 plotted periodsLatest: 4.20%

Inspect chart period

Sep 2026: 4.2 %

Move across or tap the chart, drag the slider, use arrow keys, or step through recorded observations with Previous and Next.

Breaks mark missing monthly or quarterly periods. No values are filled in across gaps.

View chart data (120 periods)

WHY IT MATTERS

The unemployment rate is a core measure of labor-market slack and a key signal for household income, recession risk, and Fed policy.

The current 5-year z-score is unavailable, with a 10-year displayed-metric range of 3.40% to 14.80%.

SOURCE & METHOD

Verified data, calculated server-side.

Source: FRED, series UNRATE. Values are displayed in %.

Historical coverage begins January 1948. Daily and weekly observations are averaged within each calendar month for this page chart.

Open source series ↗

Related indicators

Keep following the chain

LaborPayrollsMonthly change in total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment.LaborLabor Force ParticipationThe share of the working-age population that is employed or actively looking for work.GrowthReal GDPInflation-adjusted output of the U.S. economy.

GO DEEPER

Test the relationship yourself.

Start with Unemployment as X and Payrolls as Y, using level values. Change either indicator, transformation, or date range in Research Lab, then run your analysis.

Compare in Research Lab