[Economic Indicators March, 1998]
[Page Number 13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
SELECTED MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS

In February, the percentages of the unemployed who had been out of work 
for less than 5 weeks and for 15-26 weeks rose; the percentages for 5-14 
weeks and for 27 weeks and over fell. The mean duration of unemployment 
was unchanged at 15.6 weeks and the median duration fell to 7.2 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                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
                                                                                                                                                                                                
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        2,572        357      2,633 
1996.......................................................    7,236    36.4    31.6    14.6    17.4     16.7      8.3      46.6       10.7    34.7      8.0        2,595        356      2,650 
1997.......................................................    6,739    37.7    31.7    14.8    15.8     15.8      8.0      45.1       11.8    34.7      8.4        2,321        324      2,365 
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Feb...................................................    7,174    36.4    33.1    14.6    15.9     15.9      8.2      43.8       11.2    36.3      8.7        2,375        311      3,031 
      Mar..................................................    7,080    37.3    33.1    14.3    15.3     15.4      7.9      44.6       11.3    35.4      8.7      r 2,297        312      2,929 
      Apr..................................................    6,768    36.7    32.3    15.3    15.7     15.4      8.1      44.6       11.4    35.6      8.4       r2,276       r332      2,502 
      May..................................................    6,566    38.0    30.9    15.8    15.3     15.3      7.8      44.3       12.1    35.0      8.6       r2,262       r325      2,069 
      June.................................................    6,814    37.4    32.2    15.2    15.3     15.3      7.9      45.7       12.2    34.5      7.5       r2,305       r339      2,214 
      July.................................................    6,633    36.7    31.4    15.9    16.0     16.5      8.2      44.8       12.3    34.3      8.6       r2,302       r318      2,235 
      Aug..................................................    6,657    38.2    31.6    14.2    16.0     15.8      7.9      45.4       13.5    32.8      8.4       r2,300        325      2,114 
      Sept.................................................    6,678    37.0    31.5    15.4    16.1     15.9      8.1      45.0       12.8    33.9      8.4       r2,231       r310      1,977 
      Oct..................................................    6,496    39.6    29.6    14.2    16.6     16.3      7.7      45.4       11.3    34.7      8.6       r2,230       r310      1,753 
      Nov..................................................    6,289    38.2    32.3    14.2    15.2     15.6      7.8      45.6       10.3    35.2      8.8       r2,247       r319      2,015 
      Dec..................................................    6,392    39.4    30.0    14.6    16.0     16.3      7.7      46.7       10.8    33.9      8.6       r2,283       r315      2,435 
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1998:Jan...................................................    6,409    39.7    31.4    12.3    16.6     15.6      7.4      44.1       12.7    35.0      8.1       r2,251       r318     r2,758 
      Feb..................................................    6,393    41.2    30.0    13.4    15.3     15.6      7.2      43.7       12.3    35.5      8.5        2,187        309      2,777 
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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).
    Seasonally adjusted State 
insured and initial claims data 
revised beginning 1985.

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