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
Oct.
2015		 Sept.
2016		 Oct.
2016		 Oct.
2015		 June
2016		 July
2016		 Aug.
2016		 Sept.
2016		 Oct.
2016

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

 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0

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

 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.3

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

 4.8 4.8 4.7 5.0 4.9 4.9 4.9 5.0 4.9

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

 5.2 5.1 5.0 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.2

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

 6.0 5.9 5.7 6.2 6.0 6.0 5.9 6.0 5.9

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

 9.5 9.3 9.2 9.8 9.6 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.5

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.

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Last Modified Date: November 04, 2016