FX.co ★ US Unemployment Edges Up to 4.4% in February

The US unemployment rate edged up to 4.4% in February 2026, from 4.3% in January, slightly exceeding market expectations and moving closer to November’s four-year peak of 4.5%. The number of unemployed rose by 203,000 to 7.57 million, while total employment declined by 185,000 to 162.91 million. The labor force expanded modestly by 18,000 to 170.48 million, resulting in a 0.1 percentage point drop in the participation rate to 62.0%. At the same time, the broader U-6 unemployment rate—which captures discouraged and underemployed workers—fell to 7.9% from 8.1%.