Unemployment Rate
Definition
The percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking employment. The labor force includes both employed and unemployed people; it excludes those not looking for work.
Why It Matters
The unemployment rate is the most widely followed indicator of labor market health. High unemployment signals economic distress and increases demand for unemployment insurance and social services.
How It's Measured
The ACS captures employment status over the past 12 months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also publishes monthly estimates using a different survey (the Current Population Survey).
Related Ranking
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Frequently Asked Questions
The percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking employment. The labor force includes both employed and unemployed people; it excludes those not looking for work.
The unemployment rate is the most widely followed indicator of labor market health. High unemployment signals economic distress and increases demand for unemployment insurance and social services.
The ACS captures employment status over the past 12 months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also publishes monthly estimates using a different survey (the Current Population Survey).
this entity is one of the U.S. population demographics concepts that recurs across this site. The definition above is the technical answer; the paragraphs below add the practical context for how the concept connects to the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files data behind every per-entity page on the site.
In the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files data, this concept shapes one or more of the fields that drive the per-entity grades and rankings on this site. The methodology page describes which fields feed into which output; this glossary entry documents the underlying term.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.