Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) (U6RATE)

Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) (FRED series U6RATE) is a monthly economic indicator measured in percent. The series is published through FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis economic database, with history going back to 1994. Values are seasonally adjusted, smoothing out predictable calendar effects so that underlying trends are easier to see.

Why it matters: Total Unemployed, Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force, Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force Plus All Persons Marginally Attached to the Labor Force (U-6) is one of the indicators traders, economists, and policymakers watch within the economic complex. Analysts use it to track conditions in the US economy and to anticipate shifts in growth, inflation, and policy.

How to read it: focus on the direction and persistence of changes rather than any single monthly print. Comparing the latest value against its level a year ago, and against its long-run range since 1994, gives a better sense of whether the series is signaling acceleration, deceleration, or a turning point.