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



 
SELECTED MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS

In October, the percentage of the unemployed who had been out of work 
for less than 5 weeks rose; the percentages for 5-14 weeks, for 15-26 
weeks, and for 27 weeks and over fell. The mean duration of unemployment 
was unchanged at 14.3 weeks and the median duration fell to 5.8 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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                                                                                                                                                                   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:Oct...................................................    6,496    39.6    29.6    14.2    16.6     16.3      7.7      45.4       11.3    34.7      8.6        2,230        310      1,754
      Nov..................................................    6,289    38.2    32.3    14.2    15.2     15.6      7.8      45.6       10.3    35.2      8.8        2,247        319      2,016
      Dec..................................................    6,392    39.4    30.0    14.6    16.0     16.3      7.7      46.7       10.8    33.9      8.6        2,283        315      2,436
 
1998:Jan...................................................    6,409    39.7    31.4    12.3    16.6     15.6      7.4      44.1       12.7    35.0      8.1        2,251        318      2,755
      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      2,774
      Mar..................................................    6,529    43.5    30.1    12.8    13.6     14.3      6.8      45.9       11.5    34.1      8.5        2,165        309      2,790
      Apr..................................................    5,859    44.2    31.9     9.8    14.0     14.3      6.4      44.9       10.7    35.7      8.7        2,127        309      2,249
      May..................................................    5,910    43.5    32.3    10.8    13.3     14.6      5.9      45.8       12.4    33.6      8.2        2,103        316      1,994
      June.................................................    6,237    40.5    33.5    13.7    12.4     13.8      6.6      45.4       12.3    33.7      8.6        2,238        355      2,074
      July.................................................    6,230    42.3    31.9    12.8    13.0     14.3      6.6      46.8       12.9    32.9      7.5        2,384        326      2,209
      Aug..................................................    6,247    42.6    31.2    13.0    13.2     13.5      6.9      45.8       11.9    34.2      8.1        2,238        303      2,225
      Sept.................................................    6,310    42.0    31.8    11.7    14.6     14.3      6.6      46.0       11.5    34.8      7.7        2,171      r 299      1,848
      Oct..................................................    6,299    45.4    29.3    11.1    14.2     14.3      5.8      44.6       11.6    34.4      9.3   ............    p 311  ..........
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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).