U.S. Effective Unemployment (EUR): December 2008 – October 2009

(including 2,039,000 Farm Workers and 8,929,000 Self-employed Workers)

 

This Summary primarily determines and then compares (1) the number of officially unemployed workers reported each month by the BLS with (2) the number of workers who are effectively unemployed, including workers who are part-time of necessity, marginally attached, or discouraged workers.  The total number of effectively unemployed workers is more representative of the current labor situation.  This Summary also identifies various measures of Òweeks unemployedÓ, job openings, and job shortfalls.

 

 

DEC Ô08

JAN Ô09

FEB Ô09

MAR Ô09

APR Ô09

MAY Ô09

JUN Ô09

JULÕ09

AUG Õ09

SEP Õ09

OCT Õ09

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.      Civilian Labor Force (1)

154,447,000

153,716,000

154,214,000

154,048,000

154,731,000

155,081000

154,926,000

154,504,000

154,577,000

154,006,000

153,975,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Employed Workers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Full & Normal Part-Time

143,338,000

142,099,000

141,748,000

140,887,000

141,007,000

140,570,000

140,196,000

140,041,000

139,649,000

138,864,000

138,275,000

        Part-time of necessity

8,038,000

7,839,000

8,626,000

9,049,000

8,910,000

9,084,000

8,989,000

8,798,000

9,076,000

9,179,000

9,284,000

     BLS total employed

151,376,000

149,938,000

150,374,000

149,936,000

149,917,000

149,654,000

149,185,000

148,839,000

148,725,000

148,043,000

147,559,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     BLS total unemployed (2) (3)

11,108,000

11,616,000

12,467,000

13,161,000

13,724,000

14,511,000

14,729,000

14,462,000

14,928,000

15,142,000

15,700,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     BLS unemployment rate (4)

7.19%

7.56%

8.08%

8.54%

8.87%

9.36%

9.51%

9.36%

9.66%

9.83%

10.20%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     memo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     (i)   average weeks unemployed

19.7

19.8

19.8

20.1

21.4

22.5

24.5

25.1

24.9

26.2

26.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    (ii)  median weeks unemployed                   

10.6

10.3

11.0

11.2

12.5

14.9

17.9

15.7

15.4

17.3

18.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    (iii) workers unemployed 27                                             

2,591,000

2,647,000

2,917,000

3,182,000

3,680,000

3,948,000

4,381,000

4,965,000

4,988,000

5,438,000

5,594,000

          weeks and longer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B.      Adjusted Civilian Labor Force (5)

159,627,000

159,582,000

159,802,000

159,583,000

160,599,000

161,693,000

161,380,000

160,748,000

160,305,000

159,656,000

159,596,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     BLS total unemployed (2)

11,108,000

11,616,000

12,467,000

13,161,000

13,724,000

14,511,000

14,729,000

14,462,000

14,928,000

15,142,000

15,700,000

     Part-time of necessity

8,038,000

7,839,000

8,626,000

9,049,000

8,910,000

9,084,000

8,989,000

8,798,000

9,076,000

9,179,000

9,284,000

     Other marginally attached

1,908,000

2,130,000

2,051,000

2,106,000

2,089,000

2,210,000

2,176,000

2,282,000

2,270,000

2,219,000

2,373,000

     Discouraged workers (6)

3,272,000

3,736,000

3,537,000

3,429,000

3,779,000

4,402,000

4,278,000

3,962,000

3,458,000

3,431,000

3,248,000

     Total effectively unemployed (3)

24,326,000

25,321,000

26,681,000

27,745,000

28,502,000

30,207,000

30,172,000

29,504,000

29,732,000

29,971,000

30,605,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Effective unemployment rate (7)

15.24%

15.87%

16.70%

17.39%

17.75%

18.68%

18.70%

18.35%

18.55%

18.77%

19.18%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Job openings (8)

3,052,000

2,793,000

2,692,000

2,991,000

3,006,000

2,717,000

2,531,000

2,554,000

2,558,000

2,392,000

2,387,000

Jobs shortfall vs. a 5% EUR (9)

          

  16,345,000

  17,342,000

 

  18,691,000

  19,766,000

20,472,000

  22,122,000

  22,103,000

  21,467,000

  21,717,000

        

  21,988,000

 

  22,625,000

 

(1): sum of BLS-determined employed and unemployed workers, which in each case includes self-employed workers (the number of whom is preliminary and typically lags one month) and farm workers.

(2): does not include part-time of necessity and other marginally attached workers.

(3): at December 2007, the official start of the recession, BLS total unemployed were 7,541,000 and total effective unemployed were 16,882,000.

(4): BLS total unemployed divided by BLS civilian labor force.

(5): BLS civilian labor force plus other marginally attached workers and discouraged workers.

(6): Workers who have abandoned their job search; does not include other marginally attached workers.

(7): total effective unemployed divided by adjusted civilian labor force. 

(8): figures shown typically lags sixty days. 

(9): Total effectively unemployed workers minus the product of the Adjusted Civilian Labor Force times 5%.