[Economic Indicators March, 2009]
[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 5-14 weeks fell; the percentages for 15-26 
weeks and for 27 weeks and over rose. The mean duration of unemployment 
rose to 20.1 weeks and the median duration rose to 11.2 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
 
                                                                                                                                                              ----------------------------------
 
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        3,306        424      3,343
 
2008:Mar ..................................................    7,820    35.9    32.7    14.7    16.7     16.1      8.2      53.5       10.2    27.3      8.9      r 2,884      r 367      3,553
      Apr .................................................    7,675    32.5    32.9    16.6    17.9     17.0      9.3      52.7       11.2    28.0      8.1      r 2,996      r 366      3,037
      May .................................................    8,536    38.1    29.0    14.5    18.4     16.8      8.3      50.5       10.3    29.5      9.7      r 3,095      r 374      2,667
      June ................................................    8,662    31.4    34.6    15.4    18.6     17.6     10.1      51.7        9.8    29.7      8.8      r 3,155      r 392      3,108
      July ................................................    8,910    32.4    32.0    16.3    19.3     17.3      9.8      51.3        9.8    29.8      9.1      r 3,276      r 412      3,006
      Aug .................................................    9,550    33.9    30.1    16.4    19.6     17.6      9.3      52.6       10.5    28.2      8.7      r 3,460      r 441      3,179
      Sept ................................................    9,592    29.8    32.1    16.9    21.2     18.7     10.3      54.9       10.1    26.6      8.4      r 3,620      r 471      3,160
      Oct .................................................   10,221    30.3    29.7    17.9    22.1     19.8     10.6      56.8        9.2    25.9      8.1      r 3,821      r 480      2,978
      Nov .................................................   10,476    31.4    30.3    17.0    21.3     18.9     10.0      58.6        8.9    25.3      7.2      r 4,125      r 520      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      r 4,430      r 537      4,777
 
2009:Jan ..................................................   11,616    31.0    29.8    16.8    22.4     19.8     10.3      61.1        8.0    24.1      6.8      r 4,670      r 573      5,372
      Feb .................................................   12,467    26.9    31.4    18.6    23.1     19.8     11.0      62.3        6.6    22.9      8.1        5,085      r 637  ..........
      Mar .................................................   13,161    25.7    30.8    19.3    24.2     20.1     11.2      63.5        6.8    22.9      6.7   ............    p 657  ..........
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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).
    Seasonally adjusted insured and 
initial claims data reflect annual 
revisions.
    Source: Department of Labor 
(Bureau of Labor Statistics and 
Employment and Training 
Administration).