Labor Market

US Functional Unemployment Eases to 24.3% in August, LISEP Says

Washington, D.C. – September 24, 2026 -- The Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) reported that its True Rate of Unemployment (TRU) fell 0.6 percentage points in August to 24.3%, down from 24.9% in July, partially reversing a four-month climb that began in March. The August reading still sits above January's 23.9%, following a 1.3-point rise between March and July. By contrast, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics headline unemployment rate held steady at 4.1% in August.

TRU Out of Population measure drops to 53.2%, tracking labor force participation gains

LISEP's TRU Out of the Population (TRU OOP)—which captures the share of the working-age population not functionally employed, including those who have exited the labor force—declined 0.6 percentage points to 53.2%. LISEP said the move aligns with the BLS-reported improvement in labor force participation.

Flex Study: App-Based Platforms Fueled $414B in US Economic Activity in 2025

Washington – September 23, 2026 -- App-based rideshare and delivery platforms supported $414 billion in U.S. economic activity in 2025, according to a new study commissioned by Flex, the trade association representing the sector's leading companies.

Drivers and couriers completed 6.3 billion orders, earning $8.9 billion in supplemental income

Some 9.4 million drivers and couriers completed a combined 6.3 billion rideshare and delivery orders with Flex member companies last year, generating $8.9 billion in additional income for workers. Order volume rose 29 percent since 2022, the report found.

German Licensed Craft Trades Revenue Falls 1.4% in Q2 2026

Wiesbaden – September 15, 2026 -- Real revenue in Germany's licensed craft trades sector fell 1.4% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported in preliminary figures. Employment in the sector dropped 1.9% by the end of June 2026 versus a year earlier.

Six of seven trade groups post revenue declines as construction and food sectors lead losses

The finishing trades, commercial-need trades and food trades each recorded the steepest real revenue drops among licensed craft groups, falling 2.4% year-on-year in the second quarter. Main construction trades saw revenue decline 1.8%, followed by private-need trades at -1.6% and the health trade at -1.0%. The automotive trade was the only group to post growth, with revenue rising 0.4%.