Where does this data come from?

Monthly figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics public API (Current Population Survey, Current Employment Statistics, JOLTS and Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Weekly claims come from the Department of Labor's ETA 539 state report. WUUUH fetches both every night and shows them unchanged.

Why are weekly claims not seasonally adjusted here?

The state-level ETA 539 file is published unadjusted, so claims always rise in January and early July. That is why the page compares the last four weeks with the same four weeks a year earlier instead of with last month.

How should I use median and average weeks unemployed?

The median tells you what a typical search looks like; the average is pulled up by long searches. Plan your cash runway for the average so a slower-than-typical search doesn't force a bad decision.

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Labor Market Pulse

The job market in plain numbers, refreshed every night from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor, with what each number means for your search.

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Last synced Oct 30, 2026, 12:31 PM UTC · Sources: BLS Public Data API, DOL ETA 539

What this means for your search

1.01 job openings per unemployed person
There are more open roles than people looking. Apply broadly and negotiate - employers are competing for hires.
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Plan for about 25 weeks, hope for 12
The typical search takes 11.5 weeks (median), but the average is 24.8 because long searches are common. Budget your runway for the average, not the median.
Check your runway
New jobless claims up 11% vs a year ago
More people in your state are filing than last year. Claims queues get slower when volume rises - file the week your job ends.
Estimate your weekly benefit
Wages up 3.0% over the past year
Average private-sector pay is $37.81/hour. If an offer matches your old salary from a year or more ago, asking for at least this much more is grounded in data.
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Your state, this week

Unemployment rate: 2.8%; September 2026 · 5 of 52 (1 = lowest)
New claims last week: 1,160; week ending Oct 24, 2026
4-week trend vs last year: +11%; 1,333/wk vs 1,196/wk
People claiming: 6,775; 1.05% of covered jobs

Weekly new claims in Hawaii, last 52 weeks

Estimate Hawaii benefits Runway calculator Layoff tracker

National indicators

Unemployment rate
4.2%+0.1 pts m/m
September 2026
Share of the labor force without a job and actively looking (seasonally adjusted).
Underemployment (U-6)
7.6%-0.1 pts m/m
September 2026
Adds people working part-time who want full-time, and discouraged workers.
Job openings
7.08M-256K m/m
August 2026 · preliminary
Unfilled positions employers are actively recruiting for (JOLTS).
Hires per month
5.19M+46K m/m
August 2026 · preliminary
People actually hired in the month - the clearest read on whether roles are being filled.
Nonfarm payroll jobs
159.04M+29K m/m
September 2026 · preliminary
Total jobs on US payrolls.
People unemployed
7.11M+78K m/m
September 2026
Number of people unemployed and looking.
Median weeks unemployed
11.5 wks+0.1 wks m/m
September 2026
Half of unemployed people have been looking for fewer weeks than this.
Average weeks unemployed
24.8 wks-1.5 wks m/m
September 2026
Pulled up by long searches - a realistic planning number for runway.
Unemployed 27+ weeks
27.1%+0.1 pts m/m
September 2026
Share of unemployed people searching for more than six months.
Average hourly earnings
$37.81+$0.05 m/m
September 2026 · preliminary
Private-sector average - useful context for offer negotiations.
New jobless claims (all states)
178,521
week ending Oct 24, 2026 · not seasonally adjusted
Initial claims filed under state UI programs in the latest reported week.

State unemployment rates, lowest to highest (September 2026)

Statistics describe the whole market, not your odds. A rising unemployment rate doesn't mean your search will fail. It means referrals, follow-ups and filing for benefits on time matter more.

About this data

Where does this data come from?: Monthly figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics public API (Current Population Survey, Current Employment Statistics, JOLTS and Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Weekly claims come from the Department of Labor's ETA 539 state report. WUUUH fetches both every night and shows them unchanged.
Why are weekly claims not seasonally adjusted here?: The state-level ETA 539 file is published unadjusted, so claims always rise in January and early July. That is why the page compares the last four weeks with the same four weeks a year earlier instead of with last month.
How should I use median and average weeks unemployed?: The median tells you what a typical search looks like; the average is pulled up by long searches. Plan your cash runway for the average so a slower-than-typical search doesn't force a bad decision.

Machine-readable: /api/market-pulse (add ?state=CA). Public domain US government data; please credit BLS and DOL.