What the U-6 unemployment rate measures
U-6 is the widest of the six labor underutilization measures published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It starts with the officially unemployed and adds marginally attached workers, who want a job and looked in the past year but not the past four weeks (including discouraged workers who gave up because they believe no jobs are available), and people working part time for economic reasons, who want full-time work but can only find part-time hours. The total is divided by the labor force plus the marginally attached. The series in its current form begins in 1994.
How to read this chart
U-6 runs well above the headline (U-3) rate, usually about 3 to 4 points higher in good times and much more in recessions, when employers cut hours before they cut jobs. A widening gap between U-6 and U-3 means slack is growing in ways the headline rate misses; a narrowing gap means involuntary part-time work is being converted into full-time jobs.
The latest reading in context
- At 7.6%, the latest reading is above its 5-year average of 7.4% and below its 10-year average of 8.4%.
- Of all 392 monthly readings since January 1994, 19% were lower than today’s and 79% were higher.
- Direction: down 0.1 points over the past month; down 0.4 points over the past six months; down 0.5 points over the past year.
- The highest value on record is 22.9% (April 2020, 6 years ago); the lowest is 6.6% (December 2022, 4 years ago).
- The full history spans 3 US recessions, shaded grey on the chart.
Why it matters
The headline rate counts someone working ten hours a week as employed, even if they want forty. U-6 captures that hidden slack, which matters for wage growth: when many people want more hours, employers can fill demand without raising pay. Economists use it to judge how much room the labor market has before it overheats.
What moves the U-6 unemployment rate
- Layoffs and hiring, as in the headline unemployment rate
- Employers cutting or adding hours
- Discouraged workers returning to the job search when hiring picks up
- Industry mix: retail, restaurants and hospitality use more part-time work
Key moments in its history
- Late 2009Topped 17% after the financial crisis.
- 2010–2014Stayed above 12% for years, long after layoffs ended.
- Apr 2020Reached nearly 23% as pandemic lockdowns cut jobs and hours.
- 2022–2023Fell to record lows below 7%.
U-6 Unemployment Rate data tables
Average by decade
| Decade | Average | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s (so far) | 8.6% | 22.9% | 6.6% |
| 2010s | 11.7% | 17.2% | 6.8% |
| 2000s | 9.7% | 17.2% | 6.8% |
| 1990s | 9.2% | 11.7% | 7.1% |
Last 12 months
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 7.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Aug 2026 | 7.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Jul 2026 | 7.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Jun 2026 | 7.9% | −0.2 pts |
| May 2026 | 8.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Apr 2026 | 8.2% | +0.2 pts |
| Mar 2026 | 8.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Feb 2026 | 7.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Jan 2026 | 8.1% | −0.3 pts |
| Dec 2025 | 8.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Nov 2025 | 8.7% | |
| Oct 2025 | n/a | not published |
Monthly values. Decade figures are averages of the monthly values in each decade. The complete history is available as a CSV file.
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U-6 Unemployment Rate: questions and answers
What is the difference between U-3 and U-6?
U-3, the official rate, counts only people without a job who looked for one in the past four weeks. U-6 also counts discouraged and other marginally attached workers and those working part time who want full-time work.
Is U-6 the “real” unemployment rate?
It is a broader measure, not a corrected one. Both come from the same household survey and move together; U-6 simply counts more kinds of underemployment.
Why does U-6 only start in 1994?
The household survey was redesigned in 1994, which changed how discouraged workers are identified, so earlier figures are not comparable.
Where does the data on this chart come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ChartWidgets downloads the series (U6RATE) from FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis database, and checks for new releases every day. The last update was on November 1, 2026.