US Unemployment Rate Holds at 4.1%

2026-09-04 12:34 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

The US unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1% in August 2026, in line with market expectations.

The number of unemployed increased by 115,000 to 7.03 million, while total employment surged by 569,000 to 162.75 million.

The labor force expanded by 683,000 to 169.78 million, lifting the labor force participation rate to 61.6% from a five-year low of 61.4% in July.

The employment-to-population ratio also edged higher to 59.1%.

Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, eased to 7.7% from 7.9%, pointing to a modest improvement in broader labor-market conditions.



News Stream
US Unemployment Rate Holds at 4.1%
The US unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1% in August 2026, in line with market expectations. The number of unemployed increased by 115,000 to 7.03 million, while total employment surged by 569,000 to 162.75 million. The labor force expanded by 683,000 to 169.78 million, lifting the labor force participation rate to 61.6% from a five-year low of 61.4% in July. The employment-to-population ratio also edged higher to 59.1%. Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, eased to 7.7% from 7.9%, pointing to a modest improvement in broader labor-market conditions.
2026-09-04
US Jobless Rate Falls to 4.1% in July
The US unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% in July 2026, down from 4.2% in June and below expectations, as many people left the workforce. The number of unemployed fell by 178,000 to 6.916 million, while total employment declined by 87,000 to 162.177 million. The labor force contracted by 264,000 to 169.094 million, with the participation rate falling to 61.4%, its lowest since early 2021. The employment rate also dipped to 58.9%, the lowest since September 2021. The broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, was unchanged at 7.9%.
2026-08-07
US Unemployment Falls in June as Labor Force Shrinks
The US unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% in June 2026, down from 4.3% in May and below expectations, as many people left the workforce. The number of unemployed fell by 213,000 to 7.09 million, while total employment declined by 507,000 to 162.26 million. The labor force contracted by 720,000 to 169.36 million, with the participation rate falling to 61.5%, its lowest since March 2021. The employment rate also dipped to an over four-year low of 59.0%. The broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, decreased to 7.9% from 8.1%.
2026-07-02