The Unemployment Gap by Education (September 2026)
A college degree still buys a big cushion against unemployment. How the jobless rate and labor force participation vary by education, from Census and BLS monthly data.
Key findings
- Among adults 25 and older, the unemployment rate in September 2026 ranged from 4.1% for those with high school graduate to 2.4% for those with a bachelor's degree or higher.
- More education also means more labor force participation: 56.5% for high school graduate versus 71.9% for the most educated group.
- Overall, 3.2% of the 25-and-older labor force was unemployed, across a labor force of about 149,226,150 people.
- Margins of error are approximate (design-effect method); the public CPS basic monthly file does not include replicate weights.
This looks at how unemployment and labor force participation differ by educational attainment among people aged 25 and older, using the September 2026 Current Population Survey basic monthly public-use file. The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force (people working or actively looking for work) who are unemployed. Labor force participation is the share of the population that is in the labor force at all. Estimates are weighted with the final person weight (PWSSWGT). Educational groups follow the Census recode PEEDUCA.
Adults 25 and older, September 2026
Unemployment rate by education
| Unemployment rate (25 and older) | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| Less than high school | 3.4% |
| High school graduate | 4.1% |
| Some college or associate degree | 3.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2.4% |
Bars show the point estimate; the table lists approximate margins of error.
By educational attainment
| Education | Labor force | Unemployment rate | Participation | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All, 25 and older | 149,226,150 | 3.2% ± 0.2 | 63.2% | 40,040 |
| Less than high school | 8,161,184 | 3.4% ± 0.8 | 45.1% | 1,992 |
| High school graduate | 36,492,802 | 4.1% ± 0.4 | 56.5% | 10,005 |
| Some college or associate degree | 35,973,608 | 3.5% ± 0.4 | 62.2% | 9,809 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 68,598,556 | 2.4% ± 0.2 | 71.9% | 18,234 |
Margins of error are approximate 90% intervals from a design-effect method (DEFF = 1.5); the CPS basic monthly public file has no replicate weights. Sample is the unweighted number of labor force participants surveyed.
Data Sources & Methodology
The figures on this page are computed directly from the source data below. Narrative text accompanies the figures but never generates them.
Current Population Survey (CPS) Basic Monthly Public Use File
- Vintage:
- September 2026
- Access:
- BigQuery
- Cadence:
- monthly
De-identified person and household records from the Current Population Survey basic monthly file, the source of the official U.S. labor force statistics. About 60,000 households (roughly 130,000 people) are surveyed each month, supporting custom estimates of employment, unemployment, hours, earnings, and demographics at the national and state level.
The CPS is a monthly household survey of about 60,000 occupied housing units conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the source of the official national unemployment rate. Each basic monthly file is a cross-section of de-identified person and household records for that month.
Each person record carries a final weight (PWSSWGT) that expands the sample to the civilian noninstitutional population. Population totals divide the published weight by its four implied decimal places; rates and shares are unaffected by the scaling.
Employment status is summarized by the recode PEMLR: 1 and 2 are employed, 3 and 4 are unemployed, and 5 through 7 are not in the labor force. The unemployment rate is the unemployed divided by the labor force (employed plus unemployed) among persons aged 16 and older.
- The monthly sample is far smaller than the ACS, so state-level and small-subgroup estimates carry wider sampling error; some states require pooling several months.
- Public files identify geography only down to the state level; finer geography is restricted.
- Figures are survey estimates subject to sampling and nonsampling error, not a complete count, and can differ from administrative records.
- Dollar amounts reflect the survey month and are not adjusted for inflation across months unless explicitly stated.
How these figures were produced
- Estimate type:
- Weighted survey estimate (person level)
- Weighting:
- PWSSWGT (final person weight)
- Confidence level:
- 90%
Suggested citation
U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey Basic Monthly Public Use File, September 2026. Analysis by Matt George, itsmattgeorge.com. Retrieved 2026-10-15.