Kalshi vs Polymarket: Will the unemployment rate (U-3) be above 3.8% in August
Last observed 2026-09-04 12:28 UTC. Prices and fees change constantly; the rules comparison is the durable part.
SETTLEMENT_POLICY_MISMATCH— both venues publish settlement policy, but the published texts divergeTHRESHOLD_OPERATOR_MISMATCH— one contract pays on 'above' and the other on 'at or below' the same numberREVISION_POLICY_MISMATCH— the venues publish different rules about data revisionsSETTLEMENT_GUARANTEE_UNKNOWN— the venue does not publish enough settlement policy to prove what happens in every branch (missing data, cancellation, revision)
The Polymarket leg here is the global venue, which US accounts cannot trade; it is shown for the rules comparison only.
| Venue | Contract | Taker fee at last observed price |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Will the unemployment rate (U-3) be above 3.8% in August? kalshi:KXU3-26AUG-T3.8 | 1.0¢ per contract |
| Polymarket (global — not available to US accounts) | Will the August 2026 unemployment rate be ≤3.8%? polymarket_global:3402363 | 0.0¢ per share |
Capital lock-up: about 91.1 days until the later of the two contracts settles.
Kalshi fine-print grade: F (35/100)
−20 FAMILY_POLICY_INCOMPLETE: the rules omit terms this contract family requires — the measurement basis, the revision rule, or the missing-release branch its peers publish
−20 MISSING_CANCELLATION_POLICY: the rules never say what happens to open positions if the event is canceled, voided, or never takes place
−15 MISSING_REVISION_POLICY: the rules never say whether a later revision of the underlying number changes the outcome
−10 MISSING_NEGATIVE_BRANCH: the rules say what settles the contract Yes but never state what settles it No
What Kalshi publishes
If the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (U-3) reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Employment Situation Report is above 3.8% in August 2026, then the market resolves to Yes.
Fees use each venue's published taker formula at the last observed price — see the fee calculator for any price.