Unemployment Rate

Share of the labor force unemployed and seeking work.

Exclude COVID

3.3%

Trend YoY growth is -0.2%, slowing by 2 bps/year over the last 20Y. Latest: -0.4%, 20 bps below trend, a 0.11σ deviation. At current levels, YoY would fall to -0.9% by Jul '26 as comparisons tighten.

Level

YoY Change

y = 0.2% 2 bps/yr · t

Deviation from trend

Forecast

Projected value by forecast vintage (%)

Projected value (%)

Forecast made inAug '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26Dec '26Jan '27Feb '27Mar '27Apr '27May '27MAPE
Aug '254.33.83.93.93.64.03.83.73.63.54.04.14.24.03.83.73.43.63.53.33.03.289%
Sep '254.14.04.03.74.14.03.93.83.74.34.44.54.34.24.13.84.03.93.73.53.9142%
Nov '253.93.74.14.03.93.83.64.24.34.44.24.03.73.93.83.53.43.7145%
Dec '253.64.03.83.73.63.54.14.24.24.03.83.53.63.53.33.13.292%
Jan '263.83.93.83.73.64.24.24.34.13.93.63.83.63.43.23.5136%
Feb '263.73.73.53.44.04.14.13.93.73.33.53.43.12.93.088%
Mar '263.53.43.33.93.94.03.73.53.13.33.12.92.62.650%
Apr '263.33.23.73.83.83.63.32.93.02.92.62.42.2
May '263.23.73.83.83.63.32.93.02.92.62.42.2

YoY change forecast

Forecast made inAug '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26Dec '26Jan '27Feb '27Mar '27Apr '27May '27MAPE
Aug '25+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.3%-0.3%89%
Sep '25+0.4%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.1%142%
Nov '25+0.1%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.2%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.0%+0.0%145%
Dec '25-0.2%+0.1%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%92%
Jan '26+0.3%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.1%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%136%
Feb '26-0.2%+0.0%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.1%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.3%-0.3%-0.3%-0.3%-0.4%-0.4%88%
Mar '26-0.3%-0.2%-0.2%-0.2%-0.3%-0.3%-0.4%-0.4%-0.4%-0.5%-0.5%-0.6%-0.6%-0.6%-0.7%50%
Apr '26-0.4%-0.3%-0.4%-0.4%-0.5%-0.5%-0.6%-0.6%-0.7%-0.7%-0.8%-0.9%-0.9%-1.0%
May '26-0.3%-0.4%-0.4%-0.5%-0.5%-0.6%-0.6%-0.7%-0.7%-0.8%-0.9%-0.9%-1.0%

Forecasts use ordinary least-squares linear regression fitted to the YoY change series over a rolling 1Y window. Each row shows a vintage — the forecast as it would have appeared at that point in time. Projected values apply the forecasted YoY change to the prior year's level, chaining forward where actuals are unavailable. MAPE measures forecast accuracy against realized values. These are mechanical trend extrapolations, not economic models.