Statistics to cite

U.S. jobs statistics

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2% in September 2026, and payroll jobs changed by 29 thousand in September 2026, on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest estimates. Private-sector employees earned an average of $37.81 an hour in September 2026.

15 key numbers from 6 charts. They update themselves when new data comes out; newest data as of September 30, 2026.

  1. U.S. unemployment rate, September 2026

    4.2%

    Share of the labor force without a job and looking for one, seasonally adjusted.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  2. Unemployment rate about a year earlier, August 2025

    4.3%

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  3. Highest unemployment rate since 1948, April 2020

    14.8%

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  4. Lowest unemployment rate since 1948, May 1953

    2.5%

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  5. Highest unemployment rate among the states and D.C., September 2026

    5.6%

    District of Columbia.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  6. Lowest unemployment rate among the states and D.C., September 2026

    2.0%

    South Dakota.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  7. Change in U.S. payroll jobs, September 2026

    29 thousand

    From the month before, seasonally adjusted. A minus sign means jobs were lost.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (total nonfarm payroll employment) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  8. Change in payroll jobs a month earlier, August 2026

    133 thousand

    From the month before, seasonally adjusted. A minus sign means jobs were lost.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (total nonfarm payroll employment) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  9. Biggest monthly loss of payroll jobs since 1939, April 2020

    20,469 thousand

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (total nonfarm payroll employment) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  10. Average hourly pay, September 2026

    $37.81

    All private-sector employees, seasonally adjusted, in dollars of the day.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (average hourly earnings of all employees, total private) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  11. Change in average hourly pay over a year, September 2025 to September 2026

    Up 3.0%

    Not adjusted for inflation.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (average hourly earnings of all employees, total private) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  12. Median weekly pay of full-time workers, the third quarter of 2026

    $1,232

    Half of full-time wage and salary workers earn more and half earn less, in dollars of the day.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Current Population Survey) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026. See the chart

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  13. Median annual wage, all occupations, May 2025

    $50,980

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of May 31, 2025. See the chart

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  14. Highest median annual wage among major occupation groups, May 2025

    $126,520

    Management.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of May 31, 2025. See the chart

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  15. Lowest median annual wage among major occupation groups, May 2025

    $35,050

    Food preparation and serving.

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of May 31, 2025. See the chart

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What these numbers can and can't tell you

BLS revises each month's payroll jobs figure in each of the next two reports, and once a year against unemployment insurance tax records. These are the latest estimates, revisions included.

Unemployment comes from a survey of households and payroll jobs from a survey of employers, so the two can move differently in a month. A lapse in federal funding stopped the household survey in October 2025, so no unemployment rate exists for that month.

Average hourly pay rose sharply in spring 2020 because the pandemic put mostly lower-paid people out of work, not because pay jumped.

More: the data as a free feed and all statistics pages.