Home › Indicators › U-6 Underemployment Rate

U-6 Underemployment Rate: where it stands right now.

7.9% -0.20 vs prior month June 2026 · updated monthly

The U-6 underemployment rate sits at 7.9%, a slight improvement from the previous reading, though it remains elevated compared to the low 7.4% seen two years ago. The rate is moving in the right direction but hasn't returned to healthier historical levels.

The trend since 2019.

The current read: U-6 Underemployment Rate is at 7.9% as of June 2026. Source: FRED/BEA via Indicators IQ.

Why it matters.

This rate captures people working part-time who want full-time jobs and others who've stopped looking for work, painting a fuller picture of labor market weakness than official unemployment figures.

Where it fits.

U-6 Underemployment Rate feeds the Jobs & Labor view — one of the six areas behind the site's Macro IQ score.
Unemployment Rate4.2% Nonfarm Payroll Change57 JOLTS Job Openings7.59M Quits Rate1.9% Initial Jobless Claims187K Average Hourly Earnings YoY3.52%