The Labor Force Participation Rate measures the percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking employment. It is a critical metric for understanding the size of the active workforce and the impact of demographic shifts. A rising participation rate can signal economic optimism as discouraged workers return to the labor market. It helps contextualize changes in the headline unemployment rate.
The rate is calculated by dividing the number of people in the labor force (employed and unemployed) by the total civilian non-institutional population aged 16 and older.
| Date | Actual | Forecast | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2026 | 52.50 | 52.90 | -0.40 |
| Jul 30, 2026 | 52.90 | 52.80 | +0.10 |
| Jun 30, 2026 | 52.80 | 52.70 | +0.10 |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 52.40 | 53.00 | -0.60 |
| Apr 29, 2026 | 53.00 | 54.10 | -1.10 |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 52.70 | 54.00 | -1.30 |
| Feb 27, 2026 | 52.10 | 53.90 | -1.80 |
| Jan 29, 2026 | 53.20 | 53.80 | -0.60 |
| Dec 30, 2025 | 53.80 | 53.80 | 0.00 |
| Nov 28, 2025 | 53.80 | 53.60 | +0.20 |
| Oct 27, 2025 | 53.50 | 54.10 | -0.60 |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 54.00 | 53.40 | +0.60 |
| Aug 29, 2025 | 53.30 | 53.50 | -0.20 |
| Jul 30, 2025 | 53.50 | 53.90 | -0.40 |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 53.50 | 53.50 | 0.00 |
| May 30, 2025 | 53.40 | 53.50 | -0.10 |
| Apr 29, 2025 | 53.40 | 53.50 | -0.10 |
| Mar 27, 2025 | 53.20 | 53.60 | -0.40 |
| Feb 28, 2025 | 53.70 | 54.20 | -0.50 |
| Feb 10, 2025 | 54.10 | 54.30 | -0.20 |
| Jan 10, 2025 | 54.20 | 54.80 | -0.60 |
| Dec 10, 2024 | 54.70 | 54.50 | +0.20 |
| Nov 11, 2024 | 54.40 | 54.30 | +0.10 |
| Oct 10, 2024 | 54.30 | 54.50 | -0.20 |
| Sep 10, 2024 | 54.40 | 54.30 | +0.10 |
| Aug 12, 2024 | 54.40 | 53.60 | +0.80 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | 54.50 | 54.40 | +0.10 |
| Jun 10, 2024 | 54.20 | 54.50 | -0.30 |
| May 10, 2024 | 54.20 | 54.00 | +0.20 |
| Apr 15, 2024 | 54.00 | 53.90 | +0.10 |
| Mar 11, 2024 | 53.90 | 53.50 | +0.40 |
| Feb 12, 2024 | 53.50 | 53.00 | +0.50 |
| Jan 10, 2024 | 52.90 | 53.20 | -0.30 |
| Dec 11, 2023 | 53.10 | 53.00 | +0.10 |
| Nov 10, 2023 | 53.20 | 53.70 | -0.50 |
| Oct 10, 2023 | 53.30 | 52.60 | +0.70 |
| Sep 11, 2023 | 53.40 | 52.60 | +0.80 |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 52.90 | 54.00 | -1.10 |
| Jul 10, 2023 | 53.60 | 53.90 | -0.30 |
| Jun 12, 2023 | 53.90 | 53.70 | +0.20 |
| May 10, 2023 | 53.60 | 53.80 | -0.20 |
| Apr 10, 2023 | 53.60 | 54.00 | -0.40 |
| Mar 10, 2023 | 54.10 | 54.10 | 0.00 |
| Feb 10, 2023 | 54.10 | 53.60 | +0.50 |
| Jan 10, 2023 | 54.10 | 53.70 | +0.40 |
| Dec 12, 2022 | 53.50 | 52.90 | +0.60 |
| Nov 10, 2022 | 52.90 | 52.90 | 0.00 |
| Oct 10, 2022 | 53.00 | 52.50 | +0.50 |
| Sep 12, 2022 | 52.60 | 53.30 | -0.70 |
| Aug 10, 2022 | 53.20 | 53.70 | -0.50 |
| Date | First print | Current | Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | 52.8 | 53 | +0.20 ↑ |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 52.6 | 52.7 | +0.10 ↑ |
