FX.co ★ US Unemployment Rate Holds at 4.1%

The US unemployment rate held steady at 4.1% in August 2026, matching market expectations. The number of unemployed rose by 115,000 to 7.03 million, while total employment jumped by 569,000 to 162.75 million. The labor force grew by 683,000 to 169.78 million, pushing the labor force participation rate up to 61.6% from July’s five-year low of 61.4%. The employment-to-population ratio also inched higher to 59.1%. At the same time, the broader U-6 unemployment rate—which captures discouraged and underemployed workers—eased to 7.7% from 7.9%, indicating a modest improvement in overall labor-market conditions.