The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Labor underutilization measures ranged from 1.5 percent to 7.8 percent in May 2025
June 17, 2025
The unemployment rate held at 4.2 percent in May 2025 and has remained in a narrow range of 4.0 percent to 4.2 percent since May 2024. Among the 170.5 million people in the U.S. labor force, 7.2 million were unemployed in May 2025. People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. People waiting to be recalled from a temporary layoff are also included as unemployed. The labor force is the sum of employed and unemployed people.
BLS publishes a set of alternative measures of labor underutilization, known as U-1 through U-6. The official unemployment rate, referenced above, is U-3. It is the total number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force. U-1 and U-2 are more narrowly defined and always lower than the official unemployment rate. U-4, U-5, and U-6 are more broadly defined and always higher than the official unemployment rate.
Alternative measures of labor underutilization as a percent of the civilian labor force, seasonally adjusted
Month
U-1, people unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force
U-2, job losers and people who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force
U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)
U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers
U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers
U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus people employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers
May 2015
2.4
2.8
5.6
6.0
6.8
10.9
Jun 2015
2.3
2.6
5.3
5.6
6.4
10.4
Jul 2015
2.2
2.6
5.2
5.6
6.3
10.3
Aug 2015
2.2
2.5
5.1
5.5
6.2
10.2
Sep 2015
2.1
2.5
5.0
5.4
6.2
10.0
Oct 2015
2.1
2.5
5.0
5.4
6.2
9.8
Nov 2015
2.1
2.5
5.1
5.4
6.1
10.0
Dec 2015
2.1
2.4
5.0
5.4
6.1
9.9
Jan 2016
2.0
2.2
4.8
5.2
6.0
9.7
Feb 2016
2.1
2.3
4.9
5.2
5.9
9.6
Mar 2016
2.1
2.4
5.0
5.4
6.1
9.8
Apr 2016
2.1
2.5
5.1
5.4
6.1
9.9
May 2016
1.9
2.4
4.8
5.2
5.9
9.9
Jun 2016
2.0
2.4
4.9
5.2
5.9
9.5
Jul 2016
2.0
2.3
4.8
5.1
5.9
9.6
Aug 2016
1.9
2.3
4.9
5.2
5.9
9.6
Sep 2016
2.0
2.4
5.0
5.3
6.1
9.7
Oct 2016
2.0
2.3
4.9
5.2
5.9
9.6
Nov 2016
1.9
2.2
4.7
5.1
5.9
9.4
Dec 2016
1.9
2.3
4.7
5.0
5.7
9.2
Jan 2017
1.9
2.3
4.7
5.0
5.6
9.2
Feb 2017
1.8
2.3
4.6
4.9
5.6
9.0
Mar 2017
1.7
2.2
4.4
4.7
5.4
8.8
Apr 2017
1.7
2.2
4.4
4.7
5.4
8.6
May 2017
1.7
2.1
4.4
4.6
5.3
8.5
Jun 2017
1.6
2.1
4.3
4.6
5.2
8.5
Jul 2017
1.7
2.1
4.3
4.6
5.2
8.5
Aug 2017
1.7
2.2
4.4
4.7
5.3
8.6
Sep 2017
1.7
2.1
4.3
4.5
5.2
8.3
Oct 2017
1.6
2.0
4.2
4.5
5.1
8.1
Nov 2017
1.6
2.0
4.2
4.5
5.1
8.0
Dec 2017
1.5
2.0
4.1
4.4
5.1
8.1
Jan 2018
1.5
2.0
4.0
4.3
4.9
8.0
Feb 2018
1.4
2.0
4.1
4.3
5.0
8.1
Mar 2018
1.3
1.9
4.0
4.3
4.9
8.0
Apr 2018
1.4
1.9
4.0
4.2
4.8
7.9
May 2018
1.3
1.8
3.8
4.1
4.7
7.8
Jun 2018
1.4
1.9
4.0
4.2
4.8
7.8
Jul 2018
1.5
1.8
3.8
4.1
4.7
7.5
Aug 2018
1.4
1.7
3.8
4.1
4.7
7.4
Sep 2018
1.4
1.7
3.7
4.0
4.7
7.5
Oct 2018
1.4
1.8
3.8
4.1
4.7
7.5
Nov 2018
1.3
1.8
3.8
4.0
4.7
7.6
Dec 2018
1.4
1.8
3.9
4.1
4.8
7.6
Jan 2019
1.3
1.9
4.0
4.2
4.9
8.0
Feb 2019
1.3
1.7
3.8
4.0
4.6
7.2
Mar 2019
1.3
1.7
3.8
4.1
4.7
7.4
Apr 2019
1.2
1.7
3.7
3.9
4.5
7.4
May 2019
1.3
1.6
3.6
3.9
4.5
7.1
Jun 2019
1.3
1.6
3.6
3.9
4.5
7.2
Jul 2019
1.3
1.7
3.7
3.9
4.5
6.9
Aug 2019
1.3
1.7
3.6
3.9
4.5
7.2
Sep 2019
1.3
1.6
3.5
3.7
4.2
6.9
Oct 2019
1.3
1.7
3.6
3.8
4.3
6.9
Nov 2019
1.3
1.7
3.6
3.7
4.3
6.8
Dec 2019
1.2
1.7
3.6
3.7
4.3
6.8
Jan 2020
1.3
1.6
3.6
3.8
4.4
7.0
Feb 2020
1.2
1.6
3.5
3.7
4.4
7.0
Mar 2020
1.2
2.6
4.4
4.8
5.3
8.8
Apr 2020
1.1
13.2
14.8
15.1
16.0
22.9
May 2020
1.4
11.5
13.2
13.6
14.5
21.1
Jun 2020
2.0
8.9
11.0
11.4
12.4
18.0
Jul 2020
5.0
8.1
10.2
10.6
11.3
16.5
Aug 2020
5.1
6.4
8.4
8.7
9.6
14.2
Sep 2020
4.6
5.7
7.8
8.2
8.9
12.8
Oct 2020
3.9
4.8
6.9
7.2
8.0
12.1
Nov 2020
3.6
4.7
6.7
7.0
7.8
11.9
Dec 2020
3.4
4.5
6.7
7.1
7.9
11.7
Jan 2021
3.4
4.4
6.4
6.8
7.5
11.2
Feb 2021
3.4
4.1
6.2
6.5
7.4
11.1
Mar 2021
3.5
3.9
6.1
6.4
7.2
10.8
Apr 2021
3.3
3.9
6.1
6.4
7.1
10.3
May 2021
3.1
3.6
5.8
6.1
6.9
10.1
Jun 2021
3.3
3.5
5.9
6.2
6.9
9.8
Jul 2021
2.9
3.1
5.4
5.7
6.5
9.2
Aug 2021
2.7
2.8
5.1
5.4
6.1
8.8
Sep 2021
2.3
2.5
4.7
5.0
5.7
8.4
Oct 2021
2.1
2.3
4.5
4.8
5.5
8.2
Nov 2021
1.9
2.1
4.2
4.4
5.1
7.7
Dec 2021
1.7
1.9
3.9
4.2
4.9
7.3
Jan 2022
1.5
2.0
4.0
4.2
4.9
7.1
Feb 2022
1.5
1.8
3.8
4.1
4.7
7.2
Mar 2022
1.2
1.7
3.7
3.9
4.5
7.0
Apr 2022
1.2
1.8
3.7
3.9
4.6
7.0
May 2022
1.2
1.6
3.6
3.9
4.5
7.1
Jun 2022
1.3
1.6
3.6
3.9
4.5
6.7
Jul 2022
1.1
1.6
3.5
3.8
4.4
6.8
Aug 2022
1.2
1.7
3.6
3.8
4.4
6.9
Sep 2022
1.2
1.5
3.5
3.8
4.4
6.7
Oct 2022
1.2
1.6
3.6
3.8
4.5
6.7
Nov 2022
1.2
1.7
3.6
3.8
4.5
6.7
Dec 2022
1.1
1.6
3.5
3.7
4.2
6.6
Jan 2023
1.2
1.6
3.5
3.7
4.2
6.7
Feb 2023
1.1
1.7
3.6
3.8
4.4
6.8
Mar 2023
1.1
1.7
3.5
3.7
4.3
6.7
Apr 2023
1.1
1.6
3.4
3.7
4.3
6.6
May 2023
1.2
1.8
3.6
3.9
4.5
6.7
Jun 2023
1.2
1.7
3.6
3.8
4.4
6.9
Jul 2023
1.3
1.6
3.5
3.7
4.4
6.7
Aug 2023
1.4
1.8
3.7
4.0
4.6
7.1
Sep 2023
1.4
1.7
3.8
4.0
4.6
7.0
Oct 2023
1.4
1.8
3.9
4.1
4.7
7.2
Nov 2023
1.3
1.8
3.7
4.0
4.6
7.0
Dec 2023
1.4
1.8
3.8
4.0
4.7
7.2
Jan 2024
1.3
1.8
3.7
3.9
4.6
7.2
Feb 2024
1.3
1.9
3.9
4.1
4.7
7.3
Mar 2024
1.3
1.8
3.9
4.1
4.8
7.3
Apr 2024
1.3
1.9
3.9
4.1
4.7
7.4
May 2024
1.4
1.9
4.0
4.2
4.8
7.4
Jun 2024
1.5
1.9
4.1
4.3
4.9
7.4
Jul 2024
1.6
2.1
4.2
4.4
5.1
7.8
Aug 2024
1.6
2.0
4.2
4.4
5.0
7.8
Sep 2024
1.6
1.9
4.1
4.3
5.0
7.7
Oct 2024
1.7
2.0
4.1
4.4
5.0
7.7
Nov 2024
1.7
2.0
4.2
4.5
5.1
7.7
Dec 2024
1.6
1.9
4.1
4.4
5.0
7.5
Jan 2025
1.5
1.9
4.0
4.3
4.9
7.5
Feb 2025
1.5
1.9
4.1
4.4
5.1
8.0
Mar 2025
1.5
1.9
4.2
4.4
5.1
7.9
Apr 2025
1.6
2.0
4.2
4.4
5.1
7.8
May 2025
1.5
2.0
4.2
4.5
5.1
7.8
The U-1 rate, which includes only people who were unemployed for 15 weeks or longer, was 1.5 percent in May 2025. The U-2 rate, which includes only unemployed people who lost their jobs or completed temporary jobs, was 2.0 percent.
The U-4 rate includes unemployed people plus discouraged workers and was 4.5 percent. The U-5 rate, which includes people marginally attached to the labor force, was 5.1 percent. The marginally attached are neither working nor looking for work but want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the past 12 months. Discouraged workers are a subset of the marginally attached who believe no jobs are available for them.
The broadest rate, U-6, includes all the people in U-1 to U-5, plus people who work part time for economic reasons. People who work part time for economic reasons would have preferred full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. The U-6 rate was 7.8 percent in May 2025, up from 7.4 percent in May 2024.
United States Department of Labor
