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DATA FILE · DF-004

Unemployment Rate — Household Survey

What share of the civilian labor force is unemployed, and what does the denominator leave out?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Last verified Oct 9, 2026

Latest reading

+4.2 percent of the civilian labor force, age 16 and over

Measurement period
September 2026
Release date
Oct 2, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
Seasonal adjustment
Seasonally adjusted

The September unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, compared with 4.1 percent in August. BLS described the rate as having changed little. The 0.1 percentage-point difference is distinct from a 0.1 percent relative change. No revised August rate is recorded in this file.

Open the primary data release (opens in a new tab)

Previous period and revision

Measurement period
August 2026
Previously released value
+4.1

Values use the same unit shown above. A revision changes the estimate for an earlier period; it is not a new reporting period’s reading.

Read the original previous-period release (opens in a new tab)

What this measures

The share of the civilian labor force classified as unemployed under BLS definitions. The labor force comprises employed and unemployed people; people outside it are not in the denominator.

What it does not establish

It does not by itself show whether a falling rate reflects hiring or people leaving the labor force. It is not the share of all adults without jobs, the payroll-job growth rate, or a complete measure of underemployment, wages or job quality.

Methodology

Series LNS14000000: Current Population Survey, civilian unemployment rate, age 16 and over, seasonally adjusted. Unit is percent; there is no additional transformation. The rate is unemployed people divided by the civilian labor force, multiplied by 100. CPS is a household survey of people, distinct from CES payroll jobs. Annual seasonal-adjustment revisions and population-control changes can affect comparisons; retain original release vintages and identify any later revisions explicitly.

Observation history and release vintages

August 2026

First released value
+4.1
Original release date
Sep 4, 2026

August's original CPS rate was 4.1 percent and remains 4.1 in the September release; no revision is asserted.

Original release (opens in a new tab)

Next scheduled release

Nov 6, 2026. The agency’s release calendar controls the schedule.

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