What are unemployment numbers?
Christopher Davis
Updated on April 06, 2026
The unemployment rate is the proportion of the labor force that is not currently employed but could be. There are six different ways the unemployment rate is calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics using different criteria.
How many unemployed in us right now?
Overall, the number of unemployed is at 8.7 million. 1 While the number of unemployed is down, COVID-19 is still affecting the employment situation. Unemployment is still higher than before the pandemic.
Which is the formula for the unemployment rate?
In general, the unemployment rate in the United States is obtained by dividing the number of unemployed persons by the number of persons in the labor force (employed or unemployed) and multiplying that figure by 100. There are, however, various ways of defining “unemployed,” each yielding a distinct unemployment rate.
Where is unemployment the worst?
Wyoming
| Rank | State | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NORTH DAKOTA | 2.8 |
| 2 | NEBRASKA | 3.6 |
| 2 | UTAH | 3.6 |
| 4 | SOUTH DAKOTA | 3.7 |
What country has lowest unemployment?
Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Qatar: 0.1%
- Solomon Islands: 0.5%
- Niger: 0.5%
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic: 0.6%
- Cambodia: 0.7%
- Bahrain: 0.8%
- Thailand: 0.8%
- Rwanda: 1%
How many people are unemployed in United States?
The number of unemployed persons who were on temporary layoffdecreased by 4.8 million in June to 10.6 million, following a decline of 2.7 million in May. The number of permanent job loserscontinued to rise, increasing by 588,000 to 2.9 million in June. The number of unemployed reentrantsto the labor force rose by 711,000 to 2.4 million.
Where can I find employment and unemployment data?
State and Local Unemployment Data. Monthly estimates of employment and unemployment for all states, metropolitan areas, small labor market areas, counties, cities of 25,000 or more, all cities and towns in New England, and certain other areas.
What was the unemployment rate in April 2019?
The US unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent in April 2019 from 3.8 percent in the previous month, below market expectations of 3.8 percent. It was the lowest jobless rate since December 1969, as the number of unemployed persons went down by 387 thousand to 5.8 million while employment declined by 103 thousand to 156.6 million.
How does the US Department of Labor calculate unemployment?
Monthly estimates of employment, hours, and earnings for individual states and metropolitan areas from the survey of business establishments. Monthly estimates of employment and unemployment for all states, metropolitan areas, small labor market areas, counties, cities of 25,000 or more, all cities and towns in New England, and certain other areas.
