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Economic News Release
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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
Feb.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024
Feb.
2023
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force

1.3 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3

U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force

2.0 2.2 2.2 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9

U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)

3.9 4.1 4.2 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.9

U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers

4.1 4.3 4.4 3.8 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.9 4.1

U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force

4.7 5.1 5.1 4.4 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.7

U-6 Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force

7.3 8.0 7.8 6.8 7.2 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3

NOTE: Persons 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. Persons 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.

Last Modified Date: March 08, 2024