The US unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in February 2026, up from 4.3% in January and slightly above market expectations, inching closer to November’s four-year high of 4.5%. The number of unemployed increased by 203,000 to 7.57 million, while total employment fell by 185,000 to 162.91 million. The labor force grew modestly by 18,000 to 170.48 million, pushing the participation rate down 0.1 percentage point to 62.0%. Meanwhile, the broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged and underemployed workers, declined to 7.9% from 8.1%.