The Employed Persons indicator tracks the total number of individuals who performed any paid work during the reference period or were temporarily absent from their jobs. It is a key component of the labor market report and serves as a primary gauge of economic vitality and consumer spending potential. A rising number of employed persons typically signals economic expansion and can lead to higher interest rates to curb inflation.
Calculated based on monthly household surveys where individuals are asked about their employment status during a specific reference week. The data is seasonally adjusted to account for predictable seasonal fluctuations in hiring.
| Date | Actual | Forecast | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2026 | — | 5.40 | — |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 5.51 | 5.40 | +0.11 |
| Jul 24, 2026 | 5.40 | 5.30 | +0.10 |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 5.30 | 5.22 | +0.08 |
| May 21, 2026 | 5.23 | 5.24 | -0.01 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | 5.23 | 5.29 | -0.06 |
| Jan 23, 2026 | 5.25 | 5.25 | +0.00 |
| Dec 12, 2025 | 5.28 | 5.22 | +0.06 |
| Nov 14, 2025 | 5.21 | 5.23 | -0.02 |
| Oct 17, 2025 | 5.24 | 5.32 | -0.08 |
| Sep 17, 2025 | 5.32 | 5.32 | 0.00 |
| Aug 22, 2025 | 5.44 | 5.45 | -0.01 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | 5.40 | 5.20 | +0.20 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | 5.23 | 5.20 | +0.03 |
| May 23, 2025 | 5.26 | 5.32 | -0.06 |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 5.24 | 5.16 | +0.08 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 5.16 | 5.12 | +0.04 |
| Feb 17, 2025 | 5.11 | 5.14 | -0.03 |
| Jan 24, 2025 | 5.19 | 5.20 | -0.01 |
| Dec 13, 2024 | 5.20 | 5.20 | +0.00 |
| Nov 15, 2024 | 5.19 | 5.20 | -0.01 |
| Oct 18, 2024 | 5.22 | 5.25 | -0.03 |
| Sep 18, 2024 | 5.29 | 5.22 | +0.07 |
| Aug 23, 2024 | 5.44 | 5.43 | +0.01 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 5.43 | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2024 | 5.19 | — | — |
| May 22, 2024 | 5.23 | 5.22 | +0.01 |
| Apr 24, 2024 | 5.19 | 5.24 | -0.05 |
| Mar 15, 2024 | 5.17 | 5.16 | +0.01 |
| Feb 16, 2024 | 5.14 | 5.19 | -0.05 |
| Jan 26, 2024 | 5.19 | 5.15 | +0.04 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | 5.26 | 5.40 | -0.14 |
| Nov 17, 2023 | 5.24 | 5.26 | -0.02 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | 5.25 | 5.09 | +0.16 |
| Sep 20, 2023 | 5.30 | — | — |
| Aug 25, 2023 | 5.53 | — | — |
| Jul 28, 2023 | 5.39 | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2023 | 5.30 | — | — |
| May 25, 2023 | 5.23 | — | — |
| Apr 26, 2023 | 5.24 | — | — |
| Mar 17, 2023 | 5.17 | — | — |
| Feb 17, 2023 | 5.14 | — | — |
| Jan 27, 2023 | 5.15 | — | — |
| Dec 16, 2022 | 5.26 | — | — |
| Nov 18, 2022 | 5.19 | — | — |
| Oct 21, 2022 | 5.19 | — | — |
