The Rational Moderate

U-6 underemployment rate

The unemployed, plus people working part time who want full-time work and people who want a job but have stopped looking, as a percent of the labor force plus those marginally attached. Seasonally adjusted. Monthly.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED, Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) (U6RATE).

7.6%

· Current, as of

Underemployment (U-6) over time

No figure for October 2025: the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not conduct its household survey that month because of the federal government shutdown (Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025), and there is no estimate for that month. Source: BLS, 2025 federal government shutdown impact on the Current Population Survey. The line connects the readings on either side, and the data table marks the gap “not published.”

7.5%8%8.5%Sept. 2025Nov. 2025Jan. 2026March 2026May 2026July 2026Sept. 2026
5%10%15%20%25%20182020202220242026
5%10%15%20%25%200020052010201520202025
6.5%7%7.5%8%8.5%20222023202420252026

A month of monthly data is one or two numbers, so the shortest range is a year.

Data table
MonthRate, %
2026-09-017.6
2026-08-017.7
2026-07-017.9
2026-06-017.9
2026-05-018.1
2026-04-018.2
2026-03-018.0
2026-02-017.9
2026-01-018.1
2025-12-018.4
2025-11-018.7
2025-10-01not published
2025-09-018.1
2025-08-018.1
2025-07-017.9
2025-06-017.7
2025-05-017.8
2025-04-017.8
2025-03-017.9
2025-02-018.0
2025-01-017.5
2024-12-017.6
2024-11-017.7
2024-10-017.7
2024-09-017.7
2024-08-017.8
2024-07-017.8
2024-06-017.4
2024-05-017.4
2024-04-017.4
2024-03-017.3
2024-02-017.3
2024-01-017.2
2023-12-017.2
2023-11-017.0
2023-10-017.2
2023-09-017.0
2023-08-017.1
2023-07-016.7
2023-06-016.9
2023-05-016.7
2023-04-016.6
2023-03-016.7
2023-02-016.8
2023-01-016.7
2022-12-016.6
2022-11-016.7
2022-10-016.7
2022-09-016.7
2022-08-016.9
2022-07-016.8
2022-06-016.7
2022-05-017.1
2022-04-017.0
2022-03-017.0
2022-02-017.2
2022-01-017.1
2021-12-017.3
2021-11-017.7
2021-10-018.2
2021-09-018.4
2021-08-018.8
2021-07-019.2
2021-06-019.8
2021-05-0110.1
2021-04-0110.3
2021-03-0110.8
2021-02-0111.1
2021-01-0111.2
2020-12-0111.7
2020-11-0111.9
2020-10-0112.1
2020-09-0112.8
2020-08-0114.2
2020-07-0116.5
2020-06-0118.0
2020-05-0121.1
2020-04-0122.9
2020-03-018.8
2020-02-017.0
2020-01-017.0
2019-12-016.8
2019-11-016.8
2019-10-016.9
2019-09-016.9
2019-08-017.2
2019-07-016.9
2019-06-017.2
2019-05-017.1
2019-04-017.4
2019-03-017.4
2019-02-017.2
2019-01-018.0
2018-12-017.6
2018-11-017.6
2018-10-017.5
2018-09-017.5
2018-08-017.4
2018-07-017.5
2018-06-017.8
2018-05-017.8
2018-04-017.9
2018-03-018.0
2018-02-018.1
2018-01-018.0
2017-12-018.1
2017-11-018.0
2017-10-018.1
2017-09-018.3
2017-08-018.6
2017-07-018.5
2017-06-018.5
2017-05-018.5
2017-04-018.6
2017-03-018.8
2017-02-019.0
2017-01-019.2
2016-12-019.2
2016-11-019.4
2016-10-019.6
2016-09-019.7
2016-08-019.6
2016-07-019.6
2016-06-019.5
2016-05-019.9
2016-04-019.9
2016-03-019.8
2016-02-019.6
2016-01-019.7
2015-12-019.9
2015-11-0110.0
2015-10-019.8
2015-09-0110.0
2015-08-0110.2
2015-07-0110.3
2015-06-0110.4
2015-05-0110.9
2015-04-0110.9
2015-03-0110.9
2015-02-0110.9
2015-01-0111.2
2014-12-0111.2
2014-11-0111.4
2014-10-0111.5
2014-09-0111.7
2014-08-0112.0
2014-07-0112.1
2014-06-0112.0
2014-05-0112.3
2014-04-0112.3
2014-03-0112.7
2014-02-0112.6
2014-01-0112.6
2013-12-0113.1
2013-11-0113.1
2013-10-0113.6
2013-09-0113.5
2013-08-0113.6
2013-07-0113.8
2013-06-0114.2
2013-05-0113.9
2013-04-0114.0
2013-03-0113.9
2013-02-0114.3
2013-01-0114.5
2012-12-0114.4
2012-11-0114.4
2012-10-0114.4
2012-09-0114.8
2012-08-0114.6
2012-07-0114.7
2012-06-0114.7
2012-05-0114.8
2012-04-0114.7
2012-03-0114.6
2012-02-0115.0
2012-01-0115.1
2011-12-0115.2
2011-11-0115.6
2011-10-0115.8
2011-09-0116.4
2011-08-0116.1
2011-07-0115.9
2011-06-0116.1
2011-05-0115.9
2011-04-0116.1
2011-03-0116.0
2011-02-0116.0
2011-01-0116.1
2010-12-0116.6
2010-11-0116.9
2010-10-0116.6
2010-09-0116.9
2010-08-0116.5
2010-07-0116.4
2010-06-0116.4
2010-05-0116.7
2010-04-0117.2
2010-03-0117.1
2010-02-0117.0
2010-01-0116.6
2009-12-0117.2
2009-11-0117.1
2009-10-0117.1
2009-09-0116.7
2009-08-0116.7
2009-07-0116.4
2009-06-0116.5
2009-05-0116.5
2009-04-0115.9
2009-03-0115.8
2009-02-0115.1
2009-01-0114.1
2008-12-0113.6
2008-11-0112.7
2008-10-0111.8
2008-09-0111.1
2008-08-0110.8
2008-07-0110.5
2008-06-0110.0
2008-05-019.7
2008-04-019.2
2008-03-019.1
2008-02-019.0
2008-01-019.1
2007-12-018.8
2007-11-018.5
2007-10-018.4
2007-09-018.4
2007-08-018.4
2007-07-018.4
2007-06-018.3
2007-05-018.2
2007-04-018.2
2007-03-018.0
2007-02-018.1
2007-01-018.3
2006-12-017.9
2006-11-018.1
2006-10-018.2
2006-09-018.0
2006-08-018.4
2006-07-018.5
2006-06-018.4
2006-05-018.2
2006-04-018.1
2006-03-018.2
2006-02-018.4
2006-01-018.4
2005-12-018.6
2005-11-018.7
2005-10-018.7
2005-09-019.0
2005-08-018.9
2005-07-018.8
2005-06-019.0
2005-05-018.9
2005-04-019.0
2005-03-019.1
2005-02-019.2
2005-01-019.2
2004-12-019.3
2004-11-019.4
2004-10-019.7
2004-09-019.4
2004-08-019.4
2004-07-019.5
2004-06-019.6
2004-05-019.7
2004-04-019.6
2004-03-0110.0
2004-02-019.7
2004-01-019.8
2003-12-019.8
2003-11-0110.1
2003-10-0110.2
2003-09-0110.4
2003-08-0110.1
2003-07-0110.3
2003-06-0110.3
2003-05-0110.1
2003-04-0110.2
2003-03-0110.0
2003-02-0110.1
2003-01-019.9
2002-12-019.8
2002-11-019.8
2002-10-019.6
2002-09-019.6
2002-08-019.6
2002-07-019.6
2002-06-019.5
2002-05-019.6
2002-04-019.7
2002-03-019.4
2002-02-019.5
2002-01-019.4
2001-12-019.6
2001-11-019.4
2001-10-019.3
2001-09-018.7
2001-08-018.2
2001-07-017.9
2001-06-017.9
2001-05-017.5
2001-04-017.4
2001-03-017.3
2001-02-017.3
2001-01-017.3
2000-12-016.9
2000-11-017.1
2000-10-016.8
2000-09-017.0
2000-08-017.1
2000-07-017.0
2000-06-017.0
2000-05-017.1
2000-04-016.9
2000-03-017.1
2000-02-017.1
2000-01-017.0

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED: Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) (U6RATE). U6RATE · retrieved Oct. 5, 2026 · 320 rows · as of September 2026 · monthly. Download CSV