US Jobless Rate Unchanged in April

2026-05-08 12:32 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

The US unemployment rate held at 4.3% in April 2026, in line with market expectations.

However, the number of unemployed rose by 134,000 to 7.37 million, while total employment fell by 226,000 to 162.62 million.

The labor force shrank by 92,000 to 170.0 million, pushing the participation rate down 0.1 percentage point to 61.8%, its lowest since October 2021.

The employment rate also declined to 59.1%, the lowest in over four years, from 59.2%.

Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, increased to 8.2% from 8.0%.



News Stream
US Jobless Rate Unchanged in April
The US unemployment rate held at 4.3% in April 2026, in line with market expectations. However, the number of unemployed rose by 134,000 to 7.37 million, while total employment fell by 226,000 to 162.62 million. The labor force shrank by 92,000 to 170.0 million, pushing the participation rate down 0.1 percentage point to 61.8%, its lowest since October 2021. The employment rate also declined to 59.1%, the lowest in over four years, from 59.2%. Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, increased to 8.2% from 8.0%.
2026-05-08
US Jobless Rate Falls to 4.3% in March
The US unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in March 2026 from 4.4% in February, below market expectations of 4.4%. The number of unemployed decreased by 332,000 to 7.239 million, while total employment fell by 64,000 to 162.85 million. The labor force declined by 396,000 to 170.09 million, pushing the participation rate down 0.1 percentage point to 61.9%. Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, rose to 8% from 7.9%.
2026-04-03
US Unemployment Edges Up to 4.4% in February
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in February 2026, up from 4.3% in January and slightly above market expectations, inching closer to November’s four-year high of 4.5%. The number of unemployed increased by 203,000 to 7.57 million, while total employment fell by 185,000 to 162.91 million. The labor force grew modestly by 18,000 to 170.48 million, pushing the participation rate down 0.1 percentage point to 62.0%. Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, declined to 7.9% from 8.1%.
2026-03-06