[Economic Indicators October, 2002]
[Page Number 13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
SELECTED MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS

In October, the percentages of the unemployed who had been out of work 
for less than 5 weeks and for 5-14 weeks fell; the percentage for 27 
weeks and over rose; and the percentage for 15-26 weeks was unchanged. 
The mean duration of unemployment fell to 17.5 weeks and the median 
duration rose to 9.6 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
 
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
 
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        2,323        323      2,366
1998.......................................................    6,210    42.2    31.4    12.3    14.1     14.5      6.7      45.5       11.8    34.3      8.4        2,222        321      2,257
1999.......................................................    5,880    43.7    31.2    12.8    12.3     13.4      6.4      44.6       13.3    34.1      8.0        2,188        298      2,219
2000.......................................................    5,655    45.0    31.9    11.8    11.4     12.6      5.9      44.1       13.7    34.6      7.6        2,110        301      2,141
2001.......................................................    6,742    42.0    32.1    14.1    11.8     13.2      6.8      50.8       12.3    30.1      6.7        2,972        404      3,005
 
2001:Oct ..................................................    7,665    40.3    33.0    14.9    11.8     13.0      7.4      55.4       11.3    27.2      6.0        3,562        465      3,026
      Nov .................................................    8,026    38.7    32.2    15.1    13.9     14.4      7.6      56.0       10.5    27.3      6.2        3,603        439      3,138
      Dec..................................................    8,259    37.1    33.4    15.9    13.7     14.5      8.2      54.4       11.0    28.6      6.0        3,540        410      3,940
 
2002:Jan...................................................    7,922    36.7    31.9    17.5    13.9     14.6      8.8      55.1       11.1    27.7      6.1        3,475        401      4,313
      Feb..................................................    7,891    35.8    31.8    17.5    14.9     15.0      8.1      54.4       11.0    28.5      6.1        3,522        391      4,300
      Mar..................................................    8,111    37.6    29.5    16.6    16.3     15.4      8.1      52.3       10.6    30.3      6.8        3,619        422      4,138
      Apr..................................................    8,594    33.0    33.3    16.1    17.6     16.6      8.9      53.2       12.0    28.8      6.1        3,757        435      3,947
      May..................................................    8,351    34.4    30.3    15.7    19.6     17.1      9.8      54.5       10.7    28.9      5.9        3,797        412      3,250
      June.................................................    8,424    31.7    32.3    16.6    19.4     17.3     11.7      54.8       10.0    28.2      7.0        3,672        393      3,539
      July ................................................    8,345    35.1    29.9    16.4    18.6     16.4      8.6      54.9        9.8    28.5      6.8        3,513        386     r3,524
      Aug..................................................    8,142    35.6    30.0    16.2    18.2     16.2      8.4      55.1       10.0    27.4      7.5        3,532        399     r3,123
      Sept.................................................    8,092    33.4    30.9    16.2    19.5     17.8      9.5      56.0        9.6    27.9      6.5        3,627        423      3,267
      Oct..................................................    8,209    33.2    30.3    16.2    20.3     17.5      9.6      56.5       10.0    27.9      5.6   ............     p400  ..........
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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).