[Economic Indicators March, 2003]
[Page Number 13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
SELECTED MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS

In March, 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 
fell to 18.0 weeks and the median duration rose to 9.6 weeks.
  ______________________________________________________________________


  ______________________________________________________________________

                                                                       [Monthly data seasonally adjusted, except as noted]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  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\
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                                                   Weekly average, thousands
 
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
 
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 ......................................................    5,692    44.9    31.9    11.8    11.4     12.6      5.9      44.2       13.7    34.5      7.6        2,110        301      2,141
2001 ......................................................    6,801    42.0    32.3    14.0    11.8     13.1      6.8      51.1       12.3    29.9      6.8        2,974        404      3,007
2002 ......................................................    8,378    34.5    30.8    16.3    18.3     16.6      9.1      55.0       10.3    28.3      6.4        3,585        407      3,618
 
2002:Mar ..................................................    8,224    37.0    30.3    16.6    16.1     15.4      8.3      53.0       10.7    29.8      6.6        3,619        422      4,138
      Apr .................................................    8,567    34.1    33.2    15.9    16.8     16.3      8.8      53.8       11.7    28.2      6.2        3,757        435      3,947
      May .................................................    8,424    34.6    30.6    15.8    18.9     16.8      9.6      55.0       10.6    28.5      6.0        3,797        412      3,250
      June ................................................    8,469    32.3    32.5    16.4    18.8     17.1     11.6      55.2       10.0    28.3      6.5        3,672        393      3,539
      July ................................................    8,443    34.6    30.1    16.5    18.8     16.6      8.9      55.0       10.0    28.5      6.5        3,513        386      3,524
      Aug .................................................    8,366    34.9    30.2    16.4    18.5     16.3      8.7      55.1       10.1    27.8      7.0        3,532        399      3,123
      Sept ................................................    8,321    33.3    30.6    16.3    19.9     17.8      9.5      55.7        9.8    28.0      6.5        3,627        423      3,267
      Oct .................................................    8,405    33.2    29.9    16.3    20.5     17.6      9.6      56.4        9.9    27.9      5.8        3,597        401      2,935
      Nov .................................................    8,637    33.9    29.5    15.3    21.3     17.9      9.4      55.9        9.6    27.7      6.8        3,483        378      3,082
      Dec .................................................    8,711    32.9    29.3    16.0    21.9     18.4      9.6      55.8        9.9    28.2      6.1        3,438        418      3,906
 
2003:Jan...................................................    8,302    32.6    30.4    17.2    19.8     18.4      9.8      54.9        9.9    27.9      7.4        3,318        387      3,968
      Feb..................................................    8,450    32.5    30.3    15.1    22.1     18.6      9.4      55.9        9.1    28.2      6.8        3,431      r 410      4,172
      Mar..................................................    8,445    33.3    29.6    15.7    21.4     18.0      9.6      54.8        9.4    28.4      7.4   ............    p 426  ..........
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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).