[Economic Indicators March, 2008]
[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 5-14 weeks rose; the percentages for 15-26 weeks 
and for 27 weeks and over fell. The mean duration of unemployment fell 
to 16.2 weeks and the median duration fell to 8.1 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:Mar ..................................................    6,738    35.0    32.3    14.6    18.1     17.2      8.6      48.1       11.2    31.8      8.9      r 2,500      r 313      2,738
      Apr .................................................    6,829    35.7    31.4    15.6    17.4     17.0      8.6      48.5       11.0    31.7      8.8      r 2,524       r320      2,830
      May .................................................    6,863    35.8    31.7    16.0    16.5     16.6      8.3      49.3       11.2    31.4      8.1      r 2,504      r 307      2,238
      June ................................................    6,997    36.1    30.8    16.4    16.7     16.8      8.3      49.0       11.6    30.4      9.0      r 2,529       r318      2,279
      July ................................................    7,137    35.1    31.2    15.3    18.4     17.3      8.9      50.8       11.5    29.2      8.4      r 2,550      r 309      2,703
      Aug .................................................    7,133    36.3    30.6    15.6    17.4     16.9      8.6      51.1       11.2    29.2      8.5      r 2,579      r 324      2,269
      Sept ................................................    7,246    34.9    32.1    15.3    17.6     16.6      8.9      49.6       11.5    29.5      9.4      r 2,553      r 319      2,344
      Oct .................................................    7,291    34.2    33.5    14.4    17.9     17.0      8.7      50.9       10.8    28.7      9.7      r 2,573      r 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      r 2,620      r 339      2,271
      Dec .................................................    7,655    36.5    30.5    15.5    17.5     16.6      8.4      50.1       10.4    30.4      9.1      r 2,696      r 344      3,066
 
2008:Jan ..................................................    7,576    35.0    31.8    14.9    18.3     17.5      8.8      50.7       11.1    29.4      8.9      r 2,718      r 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      r 2,776      r 346      3,251
      Mar..................................................    7,815    36.0    32.8    14.5    16.7     16.2      8.1      53.7       10.1    27.4      8.8   ............    p 375  ..........
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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 unemployment claims data 
reflect annual revisions.
    Source: Department of Labor 
(Bureau of Labor Statistics and 
Employment and Training 
Administration).