Is the job market bad right now?

Unemployment Rate4.3% This is a modest rise from earlier lows and the highest level since 2021, indicating a softening job market.

Job Creation (Nonfarm Payrolls)+22,000 in AugustJob growth has slowed significantly since earlier in the year, with little change since April. Some prior months' gains have been revised down.

Job Openings Around 7.2 million Openings are lower than their peak, suggesting that the ratio of job seekers to available jobs is coming into better balance.

Long-Term Unemployment1.9 million (25.7% of unemployed)This number has been rising over the year, suggesting that some job seekers are facing increased difficulty in finding work.

Generally, for the US labor market (as of Q4 2025), the market is showing signs of cooling and slowing down, moving away from the tightness seen in previous years, but it's not universally "bad" by historical standards.