Monthly
Index (no units)
1949 - 2026
Mar 1, 1949 to Jan 1, 2026
FRED
2 weeks ago
RecentFeb 11, 2026
Sahm Recession Indicator signals the start of a recession when the three-month moving average of the national unemployment rate (U3) (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE) rises by 0.50 percentage points or more relative to the minimum of the three-month averages from the previous 12 months.
As of January 1, 2026 • Monthly data • Source: FRED
This dataset contains 923 monthly observations, over 76 years, 10 months, updated monthly from FRED. View Methodology
Data Points
923
Coverage
76 years, 10 months
Updates
monthly