Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers (U-4) (U4RATE) from Jan 1994 to Sep 2025 about discouraged, labor underutilization, workers, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

United States Unemployment Rate: U4 Unemployed & Discouraged Workers data was reported at 3.800 % in Oct 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.800 % for Sep 2018. United States Unemployment Rate: U4 Unemployed & Discouraged Workers data is updated monthly, averaging 5.600 % from Jan 1994 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 298 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.200 % in Jan 2010 and a record low of 3.800 % in Oct 2018. United States Unemployment Rate: U4 Unemployed & Discouraged Workers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G018: Current Population Survey: Unemployment Rate.

United States - Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers (U-4) was 4.10% in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers (U-4) reached a record high of 14.80 in April of 2020 and a record low of 3.30 in April of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers (U-4) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

United States Unemployment Rate: sa: U4 Unemployed & Discouraged Workers data was reported at 4.300 % in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.000 % for May 2018. United States Unemployment Rate: sa: U4 Unemployed & Discouraged Workers data is updated monthly, averaging 5.700 % from Jan 1994 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 294 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.600 % in Apr 2010 and a record low of 4.000 % in May 2018. United States Unemployment Rate: sa: U4 Unemployed & Discouraged Workers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G021: Current Population Survey: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Missouri (U4UNEM4MO) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, MO, civilian, workers, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for California (U4UNEM4CA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Texas (U4UNEM4TX) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, TX, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for West Virginia (U4UNEM4WV) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, WV, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for New York (U4UNEM4NY) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, NY, labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

U-4 Unemployment Rate - Historical chart and current data through 2025.

In 2023, the broadest measure of labor underutilization, designated U-6 (which includes the unemployed, workers employed part-time for economic reasons, and those marginally attached to the labor force), was 5.3 percent in Virginia, significantly lower than the 6.9-percent rate for the nation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the six alternative measures of labor underutilization in Virginia were significantly lower than the national rates. In Virginia and nationally, none of the measures significantly differed from the previous year.The official concept of unemployment, U-3 in the U-1 to U-6 range of measures, includes all jobless persons who are available to take a job and have actively sought work in the past 4 weeks. In 2023, 13 states had rates significantly lower than those of the U.S. for all six measures of labor underutilization, while 4 states and the District of Columbia had rates higher than those of the U.S. for all six measures. The U-4 rate includes discouraged workers; thus, the difference between U-3 and U-4 reflects the degree of would-be job-seeker discouragement. At the national level, the difference between U-3 and U-4 was +0.3 percentage point in 2023. No state had a noteworthy difference between these two measures.

The U-5 rate includes all people who are marginally attached to the labor force, and U-6 adds those who are involuntary part-time workers. Therefore, the larger the difference between U-5 and U-6, the higher the incidence of this form of "underemployment." In 2023, 47 states and the District of Columbia had significant differences between their U-5 and U-6 rates. California had the largest gap (+3.5 percentage points), followed by Oregon (+3.3 points) and Washington (+3.0 points). At the national level, the difference between U-5 and U-6 was +2.4 percentage points.

Relative to 2022, Pennsylvania was the only state to experience significant decreases in all 6 measures of labor underutilization, while Mississippi had decreases in 5 of the 6 measures. For each measure, rates declined over the year for at least three states (U-2 and U-6) and as many as seven states (U-4). Only California experienced over-the-year increases in all 6 measures, while New Jersey had increases in 5 of the 6 measures. Three additional states had increases in one measure (U-1 for Indiana and Texas and U-5 for Idaho). At the national level, rates were unchanged over the year for all six measures.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Montana (U4UNEM4MT) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, MT, civilian, workers, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Utah (U4UNEM4UT) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, UT, civilian, workers, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Connecticut (U4UNEM4CT) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, CT, civilian, workers, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Colorado (U4UNEM4CO) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, CO, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Delaware (U4UNEM4DE) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, DE, labor underutilization, civilian, workers, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Six alternative measures of labor underutilization have long been available on a monthly basis from the Current Population Survey (CPS) for the United States as a whole. They are published in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly Employment Situation news release. (See table 15.) The official concept of unemployment (as measured in the CPS by U-3 in the U-1 to U-6 range of alternatives) includes all jobless persons who are available to take a job and have actively sought work in the past four weeks. This concept has been thoroughly reviewed and validated since the inception of the CPS in 1940. The other measures are provided to data users and analysts who want more narrowly (U-1 and U-2) or broadly (U-4 through U-6) defined measures.

BLS is committed to updating the alternative measures data for states on a 4-quarter moving-average basis. The use of 4-quarter averages increases the reliability of the CPS estimates, which are based on relatively small sample sizes at the state level, and eliminates seasonality. Due to the inclusion of lagged quarters, the state alternative measures may not fully reflect the current status of the labor market. The analysis that follows pertains to the 2023 annual averages. Data are also available for prior time periods back to 2003.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Iowa (U4UNEM4IA) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, IA, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Idaho (U4UNEM4ID) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, ID, civilian, workers, labor force, 16 years +, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Total Unemployed Plus Discouraged Workers, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus Discouraged Workers for Indiana (U4UNEM4IN) from Q4 2003 to Q3 2024 about discouraged, labor underutilization, IN, civilian, workers, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.