National and state economic indicators, output, and performance.
The U.S. unemployment rate is calculated from the monthly Current Population Survey, a sample of about 60,000 households. It divides the number of unemployed people actively seeking work by the total labor force. The rate excludes people not in the labor force and is not based on unemployment insurance claims.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1% in July 2026, down from 4.2% in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It measures the share of the labor force that is actively looking for work but not currently employed. The rate remains near historically low levels after a sharp pandemic spike and gradual cooling.
U.S. employment reached 158.46 million total nonfarm employees in 2025, up 0.48% from 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A separate Census Bureau series reported 137.46 million U.S. employment in 2023. The long-run trend shows strong growth from 29.9 million in 1939, with a sharp pandemic drop in 2020 and a rapid recovery.