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United States / Work & livelihoods

U.S. Underemployment Rate (U-6).

What does the headline jobs number leave out?

SOURCE SNAPSHOTOct 4, 2026Reporting period shown below

The historical record

Source snapshot
7.6%
%
Sep 2026

Latest observation in this snapshot—not a real-time reading. -0.1 pp vs Aug 2026.

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51015202520182020202220242026

Fitted vertical axis · missing periods are not interpolated · monthly

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Interpretation

What the number means

Unemployed and marginally attached workers, plus people working part time for economic reasons.

U-6 widens the lens to include labor-market attachment and involuntary part-time work. It is not a count of everyone unhappy with their job, and it should not be subtracted from U-3 to estimate a single population.

What it cannot tell you

Seasonally adjusted U-6 rate; denominator includes marginally attached workers.

From evidence to useful work

A better question to ask

Evaluate whether a workforce proposal improves hours, stability, and suitable work—not just the number of jobs.

This is a prompt for investigation, not evidence that a particular policy works. A trend alone cannot establish a cause.

Read the related practical guide ↗
Reproducibility

Exact observations

320 available observations since 2000. Annual and quarterly dates represent the start of the reporting period; fiscal years are labeled explicitly. Display values are rounded to the precision shown; downloads retain the source values.

Open the complete data table
Broader underemployment — %
Reporting periodPeriod startValue
Sep 20262026-09-017.6%
Aug 20262026-08-017.7%
Jul 20262026-07-017.9%
Jun 20262026-06-017.9%
May 20262026-05-018.1%
Apr 20262026-04-018.2%
Mar 20262026-03-018.0%
Feb 20262026-02-017.9%
Jan 20262026-01-018.1%
Dec 20252025-12-018.4%
Nov 20252025-11-018.7%
Sep 20252025-09-018.1%
Aug 20252025-08-018.1%
Jul 20252025-07-017.9%
Jun 20252025-06-017.7%
May 20252025-05-017.8%
Apr 20252025-04-017.8%
Mar 20252025-03-017.9%
Feb 20252025-02-018.0%
Jan 20252025-01-017.5%
Dec 20242024-12-017.6%
Nov 20242024-11-017.7%
Oct 20242024-10-017.7%
Sep 20242024-09-017.7%
Aug 20242024-08-017.8%
Jul 20242024-07-017.8%
Jun 20242024-06-017.4%
May 20242024-05-017.4%
Apr 20242024-04-017.4%
Mar 20242024-03-017.3%
Feb 20242024-02-017.3%
Jan 20242024-01-017.2%
Dec 20232023-12-017.2%
Nov 20232023-11-017.0%
Oct 20232023-10-017.2%
Sep 20232023-09-017.0%
Aug 20232023-08-017.1%
Jul 20232023-07-016.7%
Jun 20232023-06-016.9%
May 20232023-05-016.7%
Apr 20232023-04-016.6%
Mar 20232023-03-016.7%
Feb 20232023-02-016.8%
Jan 20232023-01-016.7%
Dec 20222022-12-016.6%
Nov 20222022-11-016.7%
Oct 20222022-10-016.7%
Sep 20222022-09-016.7%
Aug 20222022-08-016.9%
Jul 20222022-07-016.8%
Jun 20222022-06-016.7%
May 20222022-05-017.1%
Apr 20222022-04-017.0%
Mar 20222022-03-017.0%
Feb 20222022-02-017.2%
Jan 20222022-01-017.1%
Dec 20212021-12-017.3%
Nov 20212021-11-017.7%
Oct 20212021-10-018.2%
Sep 20212021-09-018.4%
Aug 20212021-08-018.8%
Jul 20212021-07-019.2%
Jun 20212021-06-019.8%
May 20212021-05-0110.1%
Apr 20212021-04-0110.3%
Mar 20212021-03-0110.8%
Feb 20212021-02-0111.1%
Jan 20212021-01-0111.2%
Dec 20202020-12-0111.7%
Nov 20202020-11-0111.9%
Oct 20202020-10-0112.1%
Sep 20202020-09-0112.8%
Aug 20202020-08-0114.2%
Jul 20202020-07-0116.5%
Jun 20202020-06-0118.0%
May 20202020-05-0121.1%
Apr 20202020-04-0122.9%
Mar 20202020-03-018.8%
Feb 20202020-02-017.0%
Jan 20202020-01-017.0%
Dec 20192019-12-016.8%
Nov 20192019-11-016.8%
Oct 20192019-10-016.9%
Sep 20192019-09-016.9%
Aug 20192019-08-017.2%
Jul 20192019-07-016.9%
Jun 20192019-06-017.2%
May 20192019-05-017.1%
Apr 20192019-04-017.4%
Mar 20192019-03-017.4%
Feb 20192019-02-017.2%
Jan 20192019-01-018.0%
Dec 20182018-12-017.6%
Nov 20182018-11-017.6%
Oct 20182018-10-017.5%
Sep 20182018-09-017.5%
Aug 20182018-08-017.4%
Jul 20182018-07-017.5%
Jun 20182018-06-017.8%
May 20182018-05-017.8%
Apr 20182018-04-017.9%
Mar 20182018-03-018.0%
Feb 20182018-02-018.1%
Jan 20182018-01-018.0%
Dec 20172017-12-018.1%
Nov 20172017-11-018.0%
Oct 20172017-10-018.1%
Sep 20172017-09-018.3%
Aug 20172017-08-018.6%
Jul 20172017-07-018.5%
Jun 20172017-06-018.5%
May 20172017-05-018.5%
Apr 20172017-04-018.6%
Mar 20172017-03-018.8%
Feb 20172017-02-019.0%
Jan 20172017-01-019.2%
Dec 20162016-12-019.2%
Nov 20162016-11-019.4%
Oct 20162016-10-019.6%
Sep 20162016-09-019.7%
Aug 20162016-08-019.6%
Jul 20162016-07-019.6%
Jun 20162016-06-019.5%
May 20162016-05-019.9%
Apr 20162016-04-019.9%
Mar 20162016-03-019.8%
Feb 20162016-02-019.6%
Jan 20162016-01-019.7%
Dec 20152015-12-019.9%
Nov 20152015-11-0110.0%
Oct 20152015-10-019.8%
Sep 20152015-09-0110.0%
Aug 20152015-08-0110.2%
Jul 20152015-07-0110.3%
Jun 20152015-06-0110.4%
May 20152015-05-0110.9%
Apr 20152015-04-0110.9%
Mar 20152015-03-0110.9%
Feb 20152015-02-0110.9%
Jan 20152015-01-0111.2%
Dec 20142014-12-0111.2%
Nov 20142014-11-0111.4%
Oct 20142014-10-0111.5%
Sep 20142014-09-0111.7%
Aug 20142014-08-0112.0%
Jul 20142014-07-0112.1%
Jun 20142014-06-0112.0%
May 20142014-05-0112.3%
Apr 20142014-04-0112.3%
Mar 20142014-03-0112.7%
Feb 20142014-02-0112.6%
Jan 20142014-01-0112.6%
Dec 20132013-12-0113.1%
Nov 20132013-11-0113.1%
Oct 20132013-10-0113.6%
Sep 20132013-09-0113.5%
Aug 20132013-08-0113.6%
Jul 20132013-07-0113.8%
Jun 20132013-06-0114.2%
May 20132013-05-0113.9%
Apr 20132013-04-0114.0%
Mar 20132013-03-0113.9%
Feb 20132013-02-0114.3%
Jan 20132013-01-0114.5%
Dec 20122012-12-0114.4%
Nov 20122012-11-0114.4%
Oct 20122012-10-0114.4%
Sep 20122012-09-0114.8%
Aug 20122012-08-0114.6%
Jul 20122012-07-0114.7%
Jun 20122012-06-0114.7%
May 20122012-05-0114.8%
Apr 20122012-04-0114.7%
Mar 20122012-03-0114.6%
Feb 20122012-02-0115.0%
Jan 20122012-01-0115.1%
Dec 20112011-12-0115.2%
Nov 20112011-11-0115.6%
Oct 20112011-10-0115.8%
Sep 20112011-09-0116.4%
Aug 20112011-08-0116.1%
Jul 20112011-07-0115.9%
Jun 20112011-06-0116.1%
May 20112011-05-0115.9%
Apr 20112011-04-0116.1%
Mar 20112011-03-0116.0%
Feb 20112011-02-0116.0%
Jan 20112011-01-0116.1%
Dec 20102010-12-0116.6%
Nov 20102010-11-0116.9%
Oct 20102010-10-0116.6%
Sep 20102010-09-0116.9%
Aug 20102010-08-0116.5%
Jul 20102010-07-0116.4%
Jun 20102010-06-0116.4%
May 20102010-05-0116.7%
Apr 20102010-04-0117.2%
Mar 20102010-03-0117.1%
Feb 20102010-02-0117.0%
Jan 20102010-01-0116.6%
Dec 20092009-12-0117.2%
Nov 20092009-11-0117.1%
Oct 20092009-10-0117.1%
Sep 20092009-09-0116.7%
Aug 20092009-08-0116.7%
Jul 20092009-07-0116.4%
Jun 20092009-06-0116.5%
May 20092009-05-0116.5%
Apr 20092009-04-0115.9%
Mar 20092009-03-0115.8%
Feb 20092009-02-0115.1%
Jan 20092009-01-0114.1%
Dec 20082008-12-0113.6%
Nov 20082008-11-0112.7%
Oct 20082008-10-0111.8%
Sep 20082008-09-0111.1%
Aug 20082008-08-0110.8%
Jul 20082008-07-0110.5%
Jun 20082008-06-0110.0%
May 20082008-05-019.7%
Apr 20082008-04-019.2%
Mar 20082008-03-019.1%
Feb 20082008-02-019.0%
Jan 20082008-01-019.1%
Dec 20072007-12-018.8%
Nov 20072007-11-018.5%
Oct 20072007-10-018.4%
Sep 20072007-09-018.4%
Aug 20072007-08-018.4%
Jul 20072007-07-018.4%
Jun 20072007-06-018.3%
May 20072007-05-018.2%
Apr 20072007-04-018.2%
Mar 20072007-03-018.0%
Feb 20072007-02-018.1%
Jan 20072007-01-018.3%
Dec 20062006-12-017.9%
Nov 20062006-11-018.1%
Oct 20062006-10-018.2%
Sep 20062006-09-018.0%
Aug 20062006-08-018.4%
Jul 20062006-07-018.5%
Jun 20062006-06-018.4%
May 20062006-05-018.2%
Apr 20062006-04-018.1%
Mar 20062006-03-018.2%
Feb 20062006-02-018.4%
Jan 20062006-01-018.4%
Dec 20052005-12-018.6%
Nov 20052005-11-018.7%
Oct 20052005-10-018.7%
Sep 20052005-09-019.0%
Aug 20052005-08-018.9%
Jul 20052005-07-018.8%
Jun 20052005-06-019.0%
May 20052005-05-018.9%
Apr 20052005-04-019.0%
Mar 20052005-03-019.1%
Feb 20052005-02-019.2%
Jan 20052005-01-019.2%
Dec 20042004-12-019.3%
Nov 20042004-11-019.4%
Oct 20042004-10-019.7%
Sep 20042004-09-019.4%
Aug 20042004-08-019.4%
Jul 20042004-07-019.5%
Jun 20042004-06-019.6%
May 20042004-05-019.7%
Apr 20042004-04-019.6%
Mar 20042004-03-0110.0%
Feb 20042004-02-019.7%
Jan 20042004-01-019.8%
Dec 20032003-12-019.8%
Nov 20032003-11-0110.1%
Oct 20032003-10-0110.2%
Sep 20032003-09-0110.4%
Aug 20032003-08-0110.1%
Jul 20032003-07-0110.3%
Jun 20032003-06-0110.3%
May 20032003-05-0110.1%
Apr 20032003-04-0110.2%
Mar 20032003-03-0110.0%
Feb 20032003-02-0110.1%
Jan 20032003-01-019.9%
Dec 20022002-12-019.8%
Nov 20022002-11-019.8%
Oct 20022002-10-019.6%
Sep 20022002-09-019.6%
Aug 20022002-08-019.6%
Jul 20022002-07-019.6%
Jun 20022002-06-019.5%
May 20022002-05-019.6%
Apr 20022002-04-019.7%
Mar 20022002-03-019.4%
Feb 20022002-02-019.5%
Jan 20022002-01-019.4%
Dec 20012001-12-019.6%
Nov 20012001-11-019.4%
Oct 20012001-10-019.3%
Sep 20012001-09-018.7%
Aug 20012001-08-018.2%
Jul 20012001-07-017.9%
Jun 20012001-06-017.9%
May 20012001-05-017.5%
Apr 20012001-04-017.4%
Mar 20012001-03-017.3%
Feb 20012001-02-017.3%
Jan 20012001-01-017.3%
Dec 20002000-12-016.9%
Nov 20002000-11-017.1%
Oct 20002000-10-016.8%
Sep 20002000-09-017.0%
Aug 20002000-08-017.1%
Jul 20002000-07-017.0%
Jun 20002000-06-017.0%
May 20002000-05-017.1%
Apr 20002000-04-016.9%
Mar 20002000-03-017.1%
Feb 20002000-02-017.1%
Jan 20002000-01-017.0%
Source trail

Follow this series home

Series identifier
U6RATE
Provider
FRED / original statistical source
Original source attribution
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Frequency
Monthly
Source units
Percent , Seasonally Adjusted
Displayed units
%
Retrieval time
2026-10-04T09:04:46.416Z
Open the source series ↗Inspect the provider’s data endpoint ↗

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