Unemployment Rate Calculator

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Forward mode computes the rate from headcounts. Reverse mode finds how many people need jobs to reach a target rate.
All persons who worked at least one hour for pay or profit during the reference week, or who had a job but were temporarily absent.
people
Persons without a job who actively searched for work in the past four weeks and were available to start. Does not include discouraged workers.
people
The non-institutionalised civilian population aged 16 and over. Used to compute the labor force participation rate and the employment-population ratio.
people
Bureau of Labor Statistics tables report figures in thousands. Switch here so you can paste BLS numbers directly.
Unemployment rate (U-3)Near full employment
4.02%

Unemployed / labor force

Total labor force161,500
Labor force participation rate60.94%
Employment-population ratio58.49%
4.02% %
Below natural rate<3Full employment3-5Moderately elevated5-7High7-10Very high10+

The 4.02% unemployment rate is within the range economists consider full employment.

  • Most economists place the natural rate (NAIRU) between 4% and 5% for the United States.
  • At this level, almost everyone who wants a job and is actively looking can find one within a reasonable time.
  • The labor force participation rate is 60.94%. The U.S. pre-pandemic peak was around 67.3% (early 2000s).

Next stepThe U-3 rate excludes discouraged workers and part-time workers who want full-time jobs. For a broader picture, compare with the U-6 rate, which adds both groups.

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