Prices inA$US$

FinVolio

Economy · United States · Employment

US employment-to-population ratio

59.2% in September 2026, compared with 59.1% in August 2026.

Monthly · % · 59.7% a year earlier · Updated 12 hrs ago

Next: Jobs report (employment situation), Sat, 7 Nov, 12:30am Sydney time (usual time)

Add US employment-to-population ratio to your list

Range, past 10 years52-week and 10-year range The lowest and highest values over a period, with a marker for where the latest value sits between them. Learn more
51.2% Apr 202061.1% Dec 2019
Over 3 monthsYear on year, month on month, quarter on quarter How a figure compares with the same period a year earlier (y/y), or with the period just before (m/m, q/q). Year-on-year removes seasonal swings; shorter comparisons show turning points sooner. Learn more
+0.2 ptsfrom 59.0%
Over 12 monthsPercentage points and basis points The difference between two percentages. A rate rising from 4.00% to 4.25% is up 0.25 percentage points, or 25 basis points; it is not up 0.25%. Learn more
−0.5 ptsfrom 59.7%
Long-run averageLong-run average The average of every reading in the series' history. A rough guide to what is normal, though economies change and some series never return to their old average. Learn more
60.7%since 1999
Against its historyPercentile against history Where the latest reading ranks among every reading since the series began. The 90th percentile means it is higher than 90% of past readings. Learn more
26thpercentile: higher than 26% of readings since 1999

HistorySeasonally adjusted A figure with the regular calendar pattern removed (Christmas, school holidays, harvests), so one month can be compared fairly with the next. Learn more

%, monthly

Show the data
Period%
September 202659.2%
August 202659.1%
July 202658.9%
June 202659.0%
May 202659.2%
April 202659.1%
March 202659.2%
February 202659.3%
January 202659.4%
December 202559.7%
November 202559.6%
September 202559.7%
August 202559.6%
July 202559.6%
June 202559.7%
May 202559.7%
April 202560.0%
March 202559.9%
February 202559.9%
January 202560.1%
December 202459.9%
November 202459.8%
October 202460.0%
September 202460.1%

The latest 24 readings in this range.

Source: FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, series EMRATIO. Data from January 1999.

Next releaseFinVolio estimates FinVolio's own estimate of what an upcoming release will show, from a stated statistical rule and, where available, an AI estimate with its reasoning. Not a consensus forecast and not advice. Learn more

Sat, 7 Nov, 12:30am Sydney time (usual time) · Jobs report (employment situation), for October 2026

AI estimateFinVolio estimates FinVolio's own estimate of what an upcoming release will show, from a stated statistical rule and, where available, an AI estimate with its reasoning. Not a consensus forecast and not advice. Learn moreclaude-sonnet-5-555.0%range −110.0% to 195.0%
Model estimate80% range A band that the actual figure should land inside about four times in five. If actuals fall outside it more often than one time in five, the estimate is overconfident. Learn morelast reading plus half the recent trend29.0%range −170.0% to 228.0%
Last reading59.2%September 2026

Recent prints are noisy, with a 12-month average near 40 and a 6-month average near 70, while ISM PMIs near 54-55, low jobless claims (199k) and a 4.2% unemployment rate point to modest positive hiring. I shade the estimate slightly above the last value (29) toward the recent mean and keep a wide range, since monthly swings of ±150 have been common.

Estimates are FinVolio's own, made from this series and related indicators. They are not a consensus forecast and not advice.

What it measures

The share of the US population aged 16 and over that has a job.

Why it matters

Unlike the unemployment rate, it is not flattered by people giving up looking for work.