[Economic Indicators October, 2008]
[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, for 15-26 weeks and for 27 weeks and over rose; 
the percentage for 5-14 weeks fell. The mean duration of unemployment 
rose to 19.7 weeks and the median duration rose to 10.6 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
 
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
 
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      3,619
2003 ......................................................    8,774    31.7    29.8    16.4    22.1     19.2     10.1      55.1        9.3    28.2      7.3        3,531        404      3,569
2004.......................................................    8,149    33.1    29.2    15.9    21.8     19.6      9.8      51.5       10.5    29.5      8.4        2,950        345      2,995
2005.......................................................    7,591    35.1    30.4    14.9    19.6     18.4      8.9      48.3       11.5    31.4      8.8        2,661        328      2,706
2006.......................................................    7,001    37.3    30.3    14.7    17.6     16.8      8.3      47.4       11.8    32.0      8.8        2,476        313      2,518
2007.......................................................    7,078    35.9    31.5    15.0    17.6     16.8      8.5      49.7       11.2    30.3      8.9        2,571        324      2,609
 
2007:Oct ..................................................    7,291    34.2    33.5    14.4    17.9     17.0      8.7      50.9       10.8    28.7      9.7        2,573        329      2,256
      Nov .................................................    7,181    36.6    30.0    14.1    19.3     17.2      8.7      50.0       10.8    29.9      9.3        2,620        339      2,273
      Dec .................................................    7,655    36.5    30.5    15.5    17.5     16.6      8.4      50.1       10.4    30.4      9.1        2,696        344      3,071
 
2008:Jan ..................................................    7,576    35.0    31.8    14.9    18.3     17.5      8.8      50.7       11.1    29.4      8.9        2,718        337      3,270
      Feb..................................................    7,381    35.6    32.3    14.6    17.5     16.8      8.4      52.2       10.4    28.6      8.8        2,776        346      3,256
      Mar..................................................    7,815    36.0    32.8    14.5    16.7     16.2      8.1      53.7       10.1    27.4      8.8        2,910        374      3,553
      Apr..................................................    7,626    32.7    32.8    16.7    17.8     16.9      9.3      52.7       11.2    28.0      8.2        3,012        365      3,037
      May..................................................    8,487    38.2    29.1    14.4    18.3     16.6      8.3      50.7       10.3    29.1      9.8        3,096        369      2,667
      June.................................................    8,499    31.4    34.8    15.4    18.4     17.5     10.0      51.7        9.9    29.6      8.9        3,126        389      3,108
      July.................................................    8,784    32.3    32.2    16.4    19.1     17.1      9.7      50.2        9.8    30.8      9.2        3,233        406    r 3,005
      Aug..................................................    9,376    34.2    29.8    16.5    19.5     17.4      9.2      51.9       10.7    28.5      8.8        3,429        440    r 3,181
      Sept.................................................    9,477    30.0    32.1    16.8    21.1     18.4     10.2      54.3       10.2    26.8      8.6        3,581      r 475      3,154
      Oct..................................................   10,080    30.3    29.6    17.8    22.3     19.7     10.6      56.6        9.3    25.9      8.2   ............    p 478  ..........
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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). Also 
includes Federal and State extended 
benefit programs. Does not include 
Railroad (RR) program, Federal 
supplemental compensation or 
Emergency Unemployment Compensation 
programs.
    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).