Gallup Good Jobs Rate Lower Month To Month, Higher Year To Year

The Gallup Good Jobs (GGJ) rate in the U.S. was 44.6 percent in February. This is nominally down from the January rate (44.7 percent) but higher than the rate in any February since Gallup began measuring it in 2010. The current rate is 0.7 percentage points higher than in February 2015, suggesting an underlying increase in full-time work beyond seasonal changes in employment.

The percentage of U.S. adults in February who participated in the workforce -- by working full time, working part time or not working but actively seeking and being available for work -- was 67.2 percent. This is up slightly from the rate in January (66.8 percent) and higher than the 66.9 percent average workforce participation rate since June 2013. Before that, from January 2010 to June 2013, it had been almost a point higher, averaging 67.7 percent.

Gallup's unadjusted U.S. unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in February, up slightly from January's 5.5 percent. It is still the lowest rate in any February since Gallup began tracking the measure in 2010, including last year's 6.7 percent. Gallup's U.S. unemployment rate represents the percentage of adults in the workforce who did not have any paid work in the past seven days, either for an employer or for themselves, and who were actively looking for and available to work. Much of the increase in unemployment in February was matched by rising workforce participation, indicating that many who were unemployed but not previously looking for work may be returning to the workforce.

Gallup's measure of underemployment in February was 14.7 percent, also up slightly from January but in line with the rates since April 2015. Gallup's U.S. underemployment rate combines the percentage of adults in the workforce who are unemployed (6.2 percent) with those who are working part time but desire full-time work (8.5 percent).