US unemployment rate, August 2026

Key drivers

• July unemployment rate was 4.1 percent after a falling labor force participation rate
• Recent CPS rate changes are small, with 2026 readings clustered between 4.1 and 4.4 percent
• July payroll employment fell by 23,000, a soft-labor-market signal that offsets pure downward unemployment momentum
• Initial claims remained low near 199,000 in the latest public report, limiting the case for a sharp August unemployment jump

Resolution

source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation (Current Population Survey)

expected

September 4, 2026

rule

Resolve to the first-print BLS Employment Situation Current Population Survey total U-3 unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, for August 2026, reported in percent to one decimal place in Table A-1/series LNS14000000. Use the initial Employment Situation release value only; do not use later monthly revisions, annual population-control revisions, or corrected values unless the first posted release itself is replaced before ordinary public access.

Data point

bls.cps.unemployment_rate.august_2026.first_print