EconomyUnemployment Rate Rises to 4.2% in September 2026News Paper Joint
Unemployment Rate by State
Data updated Oct 28, 2026 · 6:02 AM EDT
US National Unemployment Rate
Latest reading: September 1, 2026 · Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED)
Unemployment Rate
4.20%
▲ 0.10 pts vs prior
A Year Ago
4.40%
▼ 0.20 pts since
Snapshot
The US unemployment rate was 4.20% in September 2026, up from 4.10% the prior month, compared with 4.40% a year earlier. See how every state compares on the state-by-state pages.
Trend
Unemployment RateRecent History
| Date | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|
| September 2026 | 4.20% |
| August 2026 | 4.10% |
| July 2026 | 4.10% |
| June 2026 | 4.20% |
| May 2026 | 4.30% |
| April 2026 | 4.30% |
| March 2026 | 4.30% |
| February 2026 | 4.40% |
| January 2026 | 4.30% |
| December 2025 | 4.40% |
| November 2025 | 4.50% |
| September 2025 | 4.40% |
Latest Unemployment News
All news →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the US unemployment rate?
The national unemployment rate is 4.20% as of September 2026.
Data source & method: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). Data updated Oct 28, 2026 · 6:02 AM EDT. This page refreshes automatically; figures are shown exactly as published by the source. How we source data.