The latest reading, 7.6% for Sep 2026, was down 0.1 points from the previous month, the lowest since Jan 2025. A year earlier it was 8.1%.
Projection
No statistical model we tested has beaten a simple no-change assumption on this series over the past 48 months of backtests, so gov.house does not publish a projection line here. What the history does tell us is how far the series usually moves:
| Over the next | Usual move (4 in 5 cases) | Range from today's 7.6 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | ±0.3 | 7.3 to 7.9 |
| 6 months | ±0.5 | 7.1 to 8.1 |
| 12 months | ±0.7 | 6.9 to 8.3 |
A statistical projection, not a prediction of policy and not investment advice. How the projections work.
About this data
The U-6 rate: unemployed plus marginally attached workers and those working part time for economic reasons, seasonally adjusted, from BLS via FRED.
What it measures
The broadest official measure of labor-market slack. It adds to the unemployed those who want a job but have stopped looking and those working part time because they cannot find full-time work.
Why it matters
U-6 picks up weakness the headline unemployment rate misses, such as employers cutting hours instead of jobs. It typically runs three to four points above the official rate.
gov.house refreshes this page automatically from the official source twice a day. Figures are shown as published; recent values can be revised by the source agency.
Latest values
| Date | U-6 underemployment rate |
|---|---|
| SEP 2026 | 7.6 |
| AUG 2026 | 7.7 |
| JUL 2026 | 7.9 |
| JUN 2026 | 7.9 |
| MAY 2026 | 8.1 |
| APR 2026 | 8.2 |
| MAR 2026 | 8.0 |
| FEB 2026 | 7.9 |
| JAN 2026 | 8.1 |
| DEC 2025 | 8.4 |
| NOV 2025 | 8.7 |
| SEP 2025 | 8.1 |