[Economic Indicators October, 1997]
[Page Number 13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
SELECTED MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS

In September, the percentage of the unemployed who had been out of work 
for less than 5 weeks fell; the percentages for 5-14 weeks, for 15-26 
weeks, and for 27 weeks and over rose. The mean duration of unemployment 
rose to 16.0 weeks and the median duration rose to 8.4 weeks.
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                                                                       [Monthly data seasonally adjusted, except as noted]                                                                      
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                                                                                  Duration of unemployment                Reason for unemployment:  percent       State  programs       Insured 
                                                                     --------------------------------------------------              distribution             -----------------------    unem-  
                                                               Un-         Percent distribution        Number of weeks ---------------------------------------                         ployment,
                                                             employ- --------------------------------------------------                                                                   all   
                           Period                              ment                             27                                                                Insured    Initial    regular 
                                                              (thou-   Less    5-14    15-26   weeks  Average           Job losers    Job     Reen-     New    unemployment   claims   programs 
                                                              sands)  than 5   weeks   weeks    and    (mean)   Median      \1\     leavers  trants  entrants                         (unadjust-
                                                                       weeks                   over                                                                                     ed) \2\ 
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(2)Weekly average, thousands                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1987.......................................................    7,425    43.7    29.6    12.7    14.0     14.5      6.5      48.0       13.0    26.6     12.4        2,300        328      2,369 
1988.......................................................    6,701    46.0    30.0    12.0    12.1     13.5      5.9      46.1       14.7    27.0     12.2        2,081        310      2,135 
1989.......................................................    6,528    48.6    30.3    11.2     9.9     11.9      4.8      45.7       15.7    28.2     10.4        2,158        330      2,205 
1990.......................................................    7,047    46.3    32.0    11.7    10.0     12.0      5.3      48.1       14.8    27.4      9.8        2,522        388      2,575 
1991.......................................................    8,628    40.3    32.4    14.4    12.9     13.7      6.8      54.4       11.6    24.8      9.2        3,342        447      3,406 
1992.......................................................    9,613    35.1    29.4    15.1    20.3     17.7      8.7      56.1       10.4    23.8      9.7        3,245        408      3,348 
1993.......................................................    8,940    36.5    28.9    14.5    20.1     18.0      8.3      54.2       10.9    24.6     10.3        2,751        341      2,845 
1994 \3\...................................................    7,996    34.1    30.1    15.5    20.3     18.8      9.2      47.7        9.9    34.8      7.6        2,670        340      2,739 
1995.......................................................    7,404    36.5    31.6    14.6    17.3     16.6      8.3      46.9       11.1    34.1      7.8        2,575        357      2,636 
1996.......................................................    7,236    36.4    31.6    14.6    17.4     16.7      8.3      46.6       10.7    34.7      8.0        2,594        356      2,649 
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1996:Sept .................................................    7,043    35.8    31.9    14.8    17.6     16.9      8.6      46.0       11.4    34.7      7.9        2,468        335      2,184 
      Oct .................................................    7,019    35.9    31.8    14.9    17.3     16.7      8.3      45.1       11.3    35.4      8.2        2,470        334      2,046 
      Nov .................................................    7,187    38.9    31.0    14.0    16.1     16.0      7.7      45.3       11.5    35.1      8.1        2,444        338      2,105 
      Dec..................................................    7,167    37.1    32.7    13.5    16.7     15.8      7.8      44.4       11.7    35.3      8.6        2,518        355      2,752 
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Jan...................................................    7,268    39.0    31.0    13.1    16.9     16.0      7.7      44.8       12.3    34.6      8.3        2,453        334      3,033 
      Feb..................................................    7,205    36.3    33.4    14.4    15.9     16.0      8.4      43.7       10.9    36.6      8.9        2,375        311      3,031 
      Mar..................................................    7,144    37.4    33.6    14.1    15.0     15.3      7.9      44.6       11.0    35.4      9.0        2,294        312      2,924 
      Apr..................................................    6,714    35.7    32.7    16.0    15.7     15.2      8.3      44.3       11.2    36.0      8.6        2,274        333      2,513 
      May..................................................    6,534    38.1    30.6    16.3    15.0     15.1      7.7      44.1       12.2    35.0      8.7        2,263        326      2,069 
      June.................................................    6,836    37.3    32.5    15.3    14.9     15.1      7.7      46.2       12.2    34.6      7.1        2,326        341      2,207 
      July.................................................    6,583    35.7    31.5    16.5    16.3     16.6      8.5      44.5       12.6    34.4      8.5        2,300        319      2,176 
      Aug .................................................    6,677    38.5    31.6    13.8    16.0     15.9      7.8      46.0       13.7    32.2      8.2        2,308        325      2,096 
      Sept.................................................    6,752    36.7    31.8    15.4    16.2     16.0      8.4      45.0       12.9    33.7      8.4        2,233        308  ..........
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    \1\ Beginning January 1994, job 
losers and persons who completed 
temporary jobs.
    \2\ Includes State (50 States, 
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
and Virgin Islands), ex-servicemen 
(UCX), and Federal (UCFE). Railroad 
(RR) programs included through 1993. 
Also includes Federal and State 
extended benefit programs. Does not 
include Federal supplemental 
compensation or Emergency 
Unemployment Compensation programs.
    \3\ Data beginning January 1994 
are not directly comparable with 
data for earlier periods.
    Note.--Data relate to persons 
age 16 years and over (except for 
insured unemployment and initial 
claims).

    Source: Department of Labor 
(Bureau of Labor Statistics and 
Employment and Training 
Administration).