The U-6 Unemployment Rate is the broadest measure of labor underutilization in the United States. It includes the officially unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, and those employed part-time for economic reasons. This indicator provides a more comprehensive view of the labor market's health than the standard unemployment rate. Policymakers use it to gauge the true extent of slack in the economy.
It is calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by dividing the sum of unemployed, marginally attached, and part-time workers for economic reasons by the total labor force plus marginally attached workers.
| Date | Actual | Forecast | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | — | 8.10 | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 7.90 | 7.90 | 0.00 |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 7.90 | 8.10 | -0.20 |
| Jun 5, 2026 | 8.10 | 8.30 | -0.20 |
| May 8, 2026 | 8.20 | 8.00 | +0.20 |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 7.90 | 8.00 | -0.10 |
| Feb 11, 2026 | 8.10 | 8.50 | -0.40 |
| Jan 9, 2026 | 8.40 | 8.80 | -0.40 |
| Dec 16, 2025 | 8.70 | 8.20 | +0.50 |
| Nov 20, 2025 | 8.00 | 8.10 | -0.10 |
| Sep 5, 2025 | 8.10 | 7.90 | +0.20 |
| Aug 1, 2025 | 7.90 | 7.80 | +0.10 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | 7.70 | 7.80 | -0.10 |
| Jun 6, 2025 | 7.80 | 7.80 | 0.00 |
| May 2, 2025 | 7.80 | 8.00 | -0.20 |
| Apr 4, 2025 | 7.90 | 8.10 | -0.20 |
| Mar 7, 2025 | 8.00 | 7.60 | +0.40 |
| Dec 8, 2023 | 7.00 | 7.30 | -0.30 |
| Nov 3, 2023 | 7.20 | 7.00 | +0.20 |
| Oct 6, 2023 | 7.00 | 7.10 | -0.10 |
| Date | First print | Current | Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 11, 2026 | 8 | 8.10 | +0.10 ↑ |
| Mar 7, 2025 | 8 | 8 | 0 ↓ |
