FX.co ★ U.S. U6 Unemployment Rate Edges Down to 8.0% in January 2026

The broad U.S. U6 unemployment rate eased to 8.0% in January 2026, down from 8.4% previously, according to data updated on 11 February 2026. The indicator, which captures underemployment and discouraged workers in addition to the standard jobless rate, signals a modest improvement in overall labor market slack.

The 0.4 percentage point decline suggests that fewer Americans are working part-time for economic reasons or marginally attached to the labor force compared with the prior reading. While the U6 measure remains above typical pre-pandemic lows, the latest move points to incremental strengthening in labor utilization at the start of 2026. Investors and policymakers are likely to watch whether this downward trend continues in the coming months as a gauge of the economy’s underlying momentum.