Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization [Percent]
Measure	Not seasonally adjusted			Seasonally adjusted
Measure	May 2024	Apr. 2025	May 2025	May 2024	Jan. 2025	Feb. 2025	Mar. 2025	Apr. 2025	May 2025
U-1 People unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force	1.4	1.7	1.5	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.6	1.5
U-2 Job losers and people who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force	1.7	1.9	1.8	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.9	2.0	2.0
U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)	3.7	3.9	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.1	4.2	4.2	4.2
U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers	4.0	4.1	4.2	4.2	4.3	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.5
U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other people marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all people marginally attached to the labor force	4.6	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.9	5.1	5.1	5.1	5.1
U-6 Total unemployed, plus all people marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all people marginally attached to the labor force	7.1	7.3	7.4	7.4	7.5	8.0	7.9	7.8	7.8
NOTE: People marginally attached to the labor force are those who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the past 12 months. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for work. People employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

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Last Modified Date: June 06, 2025