[Economic Indicators December, 2008]
[Page Number 13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
SELECTED MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAMS

In December, the percentages of the unemployed who had been out of work 
for less than 5 weeks fell; the percentage for 5-14 weeks, for 15-26 
weeks and for 27 weeks and over rose. The mean duration of unemployment 
rose to 19.7 weeks and the median duration rose to 10.6 weeks. (Series 
revised.)
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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
 
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
 
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
2008.......................................................    8,924    32.8    31.4    16.0    19.7     17.9      9.4      53.7       10.0    27.7      8.6   ............  .......  ..........
 
2007:Dec r.................................................    7,541    36.2    30.8    15.6    17.5     16.5      8.4      50.0       10.4    30.4      9.2        2,696        344      3,071
 
2008:Jan r.................................................    7,555    35.3    31.7    14.8    18.1     17.5      8.7      50.7       11.1    29.2      9.0        2,718        337      3,270
      Feb r................................................    7,423    35.6    32.3    14.7    17.3     16.6      8.4      52.2       10.5    28.3      8.9        2,776        346      3,256
      Mar r................................................    7,820    35.9    32.7    14.7    16.7     16.1      8.2      53.5       10.2    27.3      8.9        2,910        374      3,553
      Apr r................................................    7,675    32.5    32.9    16.6    17.9     17.0      9.3      52.7       11.2    28.0      8.1        3,012        365      3,037
      May r................................................    8,536    38.1    29.0    14.5    18.4     16.8      8.3      50.5       10.3    29.5      9.7        3,096        369      2,667
      June r...............................................    8,662    31.4    34.6    15.4    18.6     17.6     10.1      51.7        9.8    29.7      8.8        3,126        389      3,108
      July r...............................................    8,910    32.4    32.0    16.3    19.3     17.3      9.8      51.3        9.8    29.8      9.1        3,233        406      3,006
      Aug r................................................    9,550    33.9    30.1    16.4    19.6     17.6      9.3      52.6       10.5    28.2      8.7        3,429        440      3,179
      Sept r...............................................    9,592    29.8    32.1    16.9    21.2     18.7     10.3      54.9       10.1    26.6      8.4        3,581        475      3,160
      Oct r................................................   10,221    30.3    29.7    17.9    22.1     19.8     10.6      56.8        9.2    25.9      8.1        3,787        478      2,978
      Nov r................................................   10,476    31.4    30.3    17.0    21.3     18.9     10.0      58.6        8.9    25.3      7.2        4,134      r 526      3,819
      Dec .................................................   11,108    29.2    30.4    17.2    23.2     19.7     10.6      58.4        9.1    25.1      7.5   ............    p 542  ..........
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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).
    See Note, p. 11.
    Source: Department of Labor 
(Bureau of Labor Statistics and 
Employment and Training 
Administration).