Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
U6RATELatest Value
Date: 2026-05-01
Data Count
388recordsData from FRED source
Basic Info
Country: US
Frequency: monthly
Source: FRED
Next Release
07/14 12:30 JSTPeriod: Jun
Trend Chart (Line)
Historical Trend Data
| Date | Value (%) | MoM (Change) | YoY (Change) | 3-Month MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | 8.1 | -1.22% | +3.85% | 8.1 |
| 2026-04-01 | 8.2 | +2.50% | +3.80% | 8.03 |
| 2026-03-01 | 8 | +1.27% | 0.00% | 8 |
| 2026-02-01 | 7.9 | -2.47% | +5.33% | 8.13 |
| 2026-01-01 | 8.1 | -3.57% | +6.58% | 8.4 |
| 2025-12-01 | 8.4 | -3.45% | +9.09% | 8.4 |
| 2025-11-01 | 8.7 | +7.41% | +12.99% | 8.3 |
| 2025-09-01 | 8.1 | 0.00% | +5.19% | 8.03 |
| 2025-08-01 | 8.1 | +2.53% | +3.85% | 7.9 |
| 2025-07-01 | 7.9 | +2.60% | +1.28% | 7.8 |
| 2025-06-01 | 7.7 | -1.28% | +4.05% | 7.77 |
| 2025-05-01 | 7.8 | 0.00% | +5.41% | 7.83 |
| 2025-04-01 | 7.8 | -1.27% | +5.41% | 7.9 |
| 2025-03-01 | 7.9 | -1.25% | +8.22% | 7.8 |
| 2025-02-01 | 8 | +6.67% | +9.59% | 7.7 |
| 2025-01-01 | 7.5 | -1.32% | +4.17% | 7.6 |
| 2024-12-01 | 7.6 | -1.30% | +5.56% | 7.67 |
| 2024-11-01 | 7.7 | 0.00% | +10.00% | 7.7 |
| 2024-10-01 | 7.7 | 0.00% | +6.94% | 7.73 |
| 2024-09-01 | 7.7 | -1.28% | +10.00% | 7.77 |
| 2024-08-01 | 7.8 | 0.00% | +9.86% | 7.67 |
| 2024-07-01 | 7.8 | +5.41% | +16.42% | 7.53 |
| 2024-06-01 | 7.4 | 0.00% | +7.25% | 7.4 |
| 2024-05-01 | 7.4 | 0.00% | +10.45% | 7.37 |
| 2024-04-01 | 7.4 | +1.37% | +12.12% | 7.33 |
| 2024-03-01 | 7.3 | 0.00% | +8.96% | 7.27 |
| 2024-02-01 | 7.3 | +1.39% | +7.35% | 7.23 |
| 2024-01-01 | 7.2 | 0.00% | +7.46% | 7.13 |
| 2023-12-01 | 7.2 | +2.86% | +9.09% | 7.13 |
| 2023-11-01 | 7 | -2.78% | +4.48% | 7.07 |
| 2023-10-01 | 7.2 | +2.86% | +7.46% | 7.1 |
| 2023-09-01 | 7 | -1.41% | +4.48% | 6.93 |
| 2023-08-01 | 7.1 | +5.97% | +2.90% | 6.9 |
| 2023-07-01 | 6.7 | -2.90% | -1.47% | 6.77 |
| 2023-06-01 | 6.9 | +2.99% | +2.99% | 6.73 |
| 2023-05-01 | 6.7 | +1.52% | -5.63% | 6.67 |
| 2023-04-01 | 6.6 | -1.49% | -5.71% | 6.7 |
| 2023-03-01 | 6.7 | -1.47% | -4.29% | 6.73 |
| 2023-02-01 | 6.8 | +1.49% | -5.56% | 6.7 |
| 2023-01-01 | 6.7 | +1.52% | -5.63% | 6.67 |
| 2022-12-01 | 6.6 | -1.49% | -9.59% | 6.67 |
| 2022-11-01 | 6.7 | 0.00% | -12.99% | 6.7 |
| 2022-10-01 | 6.7 | 0.00% | -18.29% | 6.77 |
| 2022-09-01 | 6.7 | -2.90% | -20.24% | 6.8 |
| 2022-08-01 | 6.9 | +1.47% | -21.59% | 6.8 |
| 2022-07-01 | 6.8 | +1.49% | -26.09% | 6.87 |
| 2022-06-01 | 6.7 | -5.63% | -31.63% | 6.93 |
| 2022-05-01 | 7.1 | +1.43% | -29.70% | 7.03 |
| 2022-04-01 | 7 | 0.00% | -32.04% | 7.07 |
| 2022-03-01 | 7 | -2.78% | -35.19% | 7.1 |
| 2022-02-01 | 7.2 | +1.41% | -35.14% | 7.2 |
| 2022-01-01 | 7.1 | -2.74% | -36.61% | 7.37 |
| 2021-12-01 | 7.3 | -5.19% | -37.61% | 7.73 |
| 2021-11-01 | 7.7 | -6.10% | -35.29% | 8.1 |
| 2021-10-01 | 8.2 | -2.38% | -32.23% | 8.47 |
| 2021-09-01 | 8.4 | -4.55% | -34.38% | 8.8 |
| 2021-08-01 | 8.8 | -4.35% | -38.03% | 9.27 |
| 2021-07-01 | 9.2 | -6.12% | -44.24% | 9.7 |
| 2021-06-01 | 9.8 | -2.97% | -45.56% | 10.07 |
| 2021-05-01 | 10.1 | -1.94% | -52.13% | 10.4 |
About Indicator
Explanation
What is the U-6 Unemployment Rate (U6RATE)?
The U-6 Unemployment Rate is a broader measure of unemployment. In addition to standard unemployment, it includes part-time workers who prefer full-time work (underemployed) and discouraged job seekers who have stopped actively searching.
Viewpoints on this Indicator
Focus on the spread (gap) between the standard Unemployment Rate and the U-6 rate. A widening gap indicates an increase in underemployed or discouraged workers, suggesting the labor market is weaker than the official rate implies.
Importance
MediumView Details
Deep Dive
While the official unemployment rate (UNRATE) is most commonly cited, it excludes part-time workers who want full-time roles and those who stopped searching due to poor prospects. U-6 includes these underemployed groups, always showing a higher rate than the official figure.
During economic downturns, companies often reduce hours (moving full-time staff to part-time) before initiating layoffs. Consequently, U-6 can rise faster than the standard rate, serving as an early indicator of economic shifts.
The Fed evaluates U-6 to measure the true degree of slack in the labor market. A rapidly declining U-6 suggests a highly competitive labor market where wage inflation is prone to accelerate.
Key Checkpoints in Data
Key Checkpoints
- Whether the latest U-6 rate rose or fell compared to the prior month.
- If the spread with the official Unemployment Rate is widening.
- How U-6 behaves during past recessions from onset to peak.
- Whether the absolute number of involuntary part-time workers is growing.
- How the Fed references U-6 declines to assess labor market strength.
Connection with Associated Indicators
Why Look at Associated Indicators Together
| Associated Indicator | Why to Look Together |
|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | To compare the official (U-3) and broad (U-6) rates to highlight the quality of employment (such as involuntary part-time work). |
| Average Weekly Hours | To check if declines in working hours are pushing up the U-6 Rate due to underemployment. |
One-Line Summary for Beginners
The U-6 Unemployment Rate reflects the real proportion of jobless and underemployed people. A widening gap with the standard Unemployment Rate shows a rise in unstable employment.
Last Fetched: 6/5/2026, 6:34:28 PM
Flow of Analysis: US Employment Situation
🔍1. Before (Leading)
Check these leading indicators a few days before to gauge expectations.
📊2. During (Core Values)
Check the headline and core figures at the moment of release.
⚡3. After (Market Reactions)
Track reactions in yields, currencies, and major stock indexes.