US Female unemployment rate
US Female unemployment rate stood at 4% in Sep 2026, according to FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). It is one of the indicators in the Unemployment table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1948 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Unemployment table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women2 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | |
| Women 16-19 years | 14.2 | 13.3 | 10.3 | 13.3 | 12.7 | 13.2 | 11.1 | 14.4 | 10 | 14.6 | |
| Women 20 years and over | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
Understanding US Female unemployment rate
This rate divides the number of women without jobs who are actively looking for work and available for employment by the female labour force. The denominator includes both employed and unemployed individuals under survey definitions, but excludes those who have left the labour force, such as non-seekers. Unlike the count of unemployed women, this is a share and is therefore less directly affected by population scale; unlike age-specific branches, the indicator aggregates all women eligible for labour force participation.
Series are published monthly and year-on-year comparisons should be prioritized to limit seasonal impacts, although month-on-month comparisons remain useful when scanning for reversal signs. Months surrounding holidays and school calendars can cause participation or job-search activity to fluctuate. Do not assume that a falling rate always signifies an improving labour market: it can also decline when women stop searching and are reclassified outside the labour force. Recent periods may be revised as input information is updated.
Frequently asked questions
- Are women who are not looking for work counted as unemployed?
- Generally no; they are classified outside the labour force if they do not meet the job search and availability conditions.
- Why did the female unemployment rate fall even though employment did not rise?
- One possibility is that a segment of women stopped searching, causing both the unemployed count and the labour force to shrink together.
- Should this indicator be compared with men?
- Yes, but differences in age structure, industries, and labour force participation rates must also be considered.