U.S. Jobs and Labor Tracker
This tracker page and its associated data files rely on multiple surveys aiming to provide a detailed assessment of the current state of the U.S. labor market, featuring proprietary data that supplements government sources by providing enhanced scale, frequency and depth.
Key Takeaways
In the last three weeks, the unemployment index continued to ease. As of December 14, the index (viewed as a four week moving average) is at 98.9, down from 101.7 in November 23rd. The index’s base value of 100 is intended to be consistent with a “neutral” (or, in economic terms, natural) unemployment rate. The current level of the index would indicate that the unemployment rate is close to but currently below the natural rate.
Compared to November 16th, last month's BLS reference week (monthly data for the Current Population Survey (CPS) is typically collected during the week encompassing the 12th day of each month), the unemployment index is lower in December, indicating that the BLS' unemployment rate for December may also move down when released on January 10, 2025.
While still lower than the summer, the unemployment index is slightly above the level observed a year ago during the same period.
Data Downloads
Pro+ subscribers are able to download the datasets that underpin Morning Consult Pro's reports and analysis. Contact us to get access.
Unemployment Index
Since August 2020, Morning Consult has been gathering daily data on the employment status of U.S. consumers. Although the methodology differs, this survey uses the same definition as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine the national unemployment rate. Consequently, Morning Consult’s high-frequency data provides valuable insights into real-time joblessness fluctuations.
The Unemployment Index is designed with ease of interpretation in mind. The index’s base value of 100 is intended to be consistent with a “neutral” (or, in economic terms, natural) unemployment rate. This value would equate to the lowest level of joblessness the economy could theoretically sustain without triggering elevated inflation.
More about the construction of the index and the methodology can be found here.
About the survey:
- Began fielding: Aug. 15, 2020
- Frequency: Daily, typically reported as a 4-week moving average
- Fielding period: 4 a.m. ET to 3 a.m. ET the following day
- Sample size: Over 15,000 adults per day globally (over 5,000 per day in
the United States) - Geographic coverage: Over 40 countries
*Please note that only select demographics are displayed here. Pro+ clients can download the interactive data files to analyze additional demographics.
** This data is part of Morning Consult's daily tracker. MCI clients can access this data on a daily frequency by desired Audience (demographic, psychographic and usage questions), Brand, Economic and Political cuts.
Demographic breakout
Job Search Activity
Morning Consult's U.S. Job Search Activity data provides an always-on gauge of the jobs market by asking about job search activity, providing enhanced scale, frequency and depth compared with traditional data sets. The question is asked in over 40 countries, while this chart pack provides data on only the United States.
- Began fielding: Aug. 15, 2020
- Frequency: Daily, typically reported as a 4-week moving average
- Fielding period: 4 a.m. ET to 3 a.m. ET the following day
- Sample size: Over 15,000 adults per day globally (over 5,000 per day in
the United States) - Geographic coverage: Over 40 countries
*Please note that only select demographics are displayed here. Pro+ clients can download the interactive data files to analyze additional demographics.
** This data is part of Morning Consult's daily tracker. MCI clients can access this data on a daily frequency by desired Audience (demographic, psychographic and usage questions), Brand, Economic and Political cuts.
Job Search Activity
Email [email protected] to speak with a member of the Morning Consult team.
