The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
1.6 million people unemployed 27 weeks or more in October 2017, 24.8 percent of all unemployed
November 08, 2017
The number of unemployed people decreased by 281,000 to 6.5 million in October 2017, and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent. Since January, the number of unemployed has decreased by 1.1 million, and the unemployment rate has declined by 0.7 percentage point. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was 1.6 million in October and accounted for 24.8 percent of the unemployed.
Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment, October 1997 to October 2017, seasonally adjusted
Month
Less than 5 weeks
5–14 weeks
15–26 weeks
27 weeks and over
Oct 1997
2,566,000
1,966,000
916,000
1,034,000
Nov 1997
2,479,000
2,027,000
879,000
938,000
Dec 1997
2,534,000
1,937,000
917,000
984,000
Jan 1998
2,587,000
1,929,000
838,000
995,000
Feb 1998
2,572,000
1,918,000
852,000
957,000
Mar 1998
2,789,000
1,972,000
854,000
918,000
Apr 1998
2,628,000
1,918,000
594,000
883,000
May 1998
2,641,000
1,950,000
651,000
839,000
Jun 1998
2,546,000
2,079,000
824,000
789,000
Jul 1998
2,593,000
2,005,000
755,000
821,000
Aug 1998
2,597,000
1,963,000
808,000
818,000
Sep 1998
2,624,000
1,985,000
772,000
916,000
Oct 1998
2,823,000
1,909,000
723,000
858,000
Nov 1998
2,510,000
1,998,000
715,000
875,000
Dec 1998
2,587,000
1,806,000
756,000
803,000
Jan 1999
2,462,000
1,993,000
775,000
714,000
Feb 1999
2,566,000
1,946,000
749,000
801,000
Mar 1999
2,473,000
1,905,000
758,000
714,000
Apr 1999
2,781,000
1,848,000
782,000
698,000
May 1999
2,511,000
1,789,000
787,000
718,000
Jun 1999
2,521,000
1,773,000
812,000
812,000
Jul 1999
2,643,000
1,783,000
781,000
732,000
Aug 1999
2,546,000
1,824,000
748,000
706,000
Sep 1999
2,611,000
1,835,000
739,000
709,000
Oct 1999
2,536,000
1,847,000
713,000
724,000
Nov 1999
2,562,000
1,775,000
697,000
682,000
Dec 1999
2,642,000
1,614,000
696,000
680,000
Jan 2000
2,541,000
1,749,000
659,000
721,000
Feb 2000
2,604,000
1,912,000
671,000
629,000
Mar 2000
2,780,000
1,781,000
666,000
646,000
Apr 2000
2,510,000
1,845,000
662,000
599,000
May 2000
2,564,000
1,911,000
683,000
643,000
Jun 2000
2,579,000
1,753,000
616,000
627,000
Jul 2000
2,498,000
1,824,000
645,000
698,000
Aug 2000
2,550,000
1,893,000
685,000
709,000
Sep 2000
2,571,000
1,746,000
644,000
646,000
Oct 2000
2,497,000
1,724,000
710,000
627,000
Nov 2000
2,512,000
1,790,000
723,000
593,000
Dec 2000
2,477,000
1,825,000
687,000
642,000
Jan 2001
2,648,000
1,956,000
696,000
676,000
Feb 2001
2,851,000
1,764,000
777,000
714,000
Mar 2001
2,681,000
2,059,000
825,000
696,000
Apr 2001
2,972,000
1,990,000
787,000
712,000
May 2001
2,701,000
2,045,000
877,000
624,000
Jun 2001
2,808,000
2,025,000
822,000
710,000
Jul 2001
2,642,000
2,187,000
951,000
702,000
Aug 2001
2,966,000
2,187,000
1,004,000
857,000
Sep 2001
2,837,000
2,350,000
1,131,000
819,000
Oct 2001
3,111,000
2,531,000
1,173,000
909,000
Nov 2001
3,090,000
2,566,000
1,213,000
1,106,000
Dec 2001
3,037,000
2,797,000
1,318,000
1,126,000
Jan 2002
3,044,000
2,606,000
1,375,000
1,203,000
Feb 2002
2,984,000
2,577,000
1,394,000
1,214,000
Mar 2002
3,074,000
2,563,000
1,390,000
1,330,000
Apr 2002
2,932,000
2,872,000
1,395,000
1,457,000
May 2002
2,843,000
2,584,000
1,393,000
1,574,000
Jun 2002
2,711,000
2,654,000
1,382,000
1,641,000
Jul 2002
2,891,000
2,467,000
1,382,000
1,584,000
Aug 2002
2,927,000
2,525,000
1,313,000
1,573,000
Sep 2002
2,772,000
2,526,000
1,391,000
1,580,000
Oct 2002
2,765,000
2,512,000
1,388,000
1,653,000
Nov 2002
2,950,000
2,505,000
1,319,000
1,743,000
Dec 2002
2,838,000
2,589,000
1,347,000
1,924,000
Jan 2003
2,856,000
2,582,000
1,405,000
1,760,000
Feb 2003
2,798,000
2,611,000
1,297,000
1,864,000
Mar 2003
2,831,000
2,567,000
1,363,000
1,798,000
Apr 2003
2,794,000
2,661,000
1,421,000
1,927,000
May 2003
2,988,000
2,631,000
1,389,000
1,929,000
Jun 2003
2,906,000
2,745,000
1,453,000
2,100,000
Jul 2003
2,720,000
2,616,000
1,661,000
1,972,000
Aug 2003
2,801,000
2,625,000
1,561,000
1,995,000
Sep 2003
2,704,000
2,775,000
1,472,000
2,014,000
Oct 2003
2,710,000
2,593,000
1,492,000
1,959,000
Nov 2003
2,656,000
2,509,000
1,414,000
2,006,000
Dec 2003
2,554,000
2,455,000
1,435,000
1,931,000
Jan 2004
2,685,000
2,369,000
1,453,000
1,911,000
Feb 2004
2,425,000
2,436,000
1,392,000
1,856,000
Mar 2004
2,637,000
2,434,000
1,331,000
1,983,000
Apr 2004
2,780,000
2,400,000
1,166,000
1,805,000
May 2004
2,723,000
2,378,000
1,304,000
1,799,000
Jun 2004
2,677,000
2,387,000
1,284,000
1,847,000
Jul 2004
2,820,000
2,384,000
1,237,000
1,681,000
Aug 2004
2,660,000
2,563,000
1,206,000
1,640,000
Sep 2004
2,758,000
2,276,000
1,209,000
1,702,000
Oct 2004
2,732,000
2,303,000
1,304,000
1,737,000
Nov 2004
2,638,000
2,339,000
1,258,000
1,702,000
Dec 2004
2,768,000
2,268,000
1,274,000
1,653,000
Jan 2005
2,635,000
2,298,000
1,203,000
1,648,000
Feb 2005
2,749,000
2,345,000
1,268,000
1,628,000
Mar 2005
2,483,000
2,328,000
1,157,000
1,660,000
Apr 2005
2,688,000
2,289,000
1,069,000
1,609,000
May 2005
2,754,000
2,231,000
1,145,000
1,538,000
Jun 2005
2,659,000
2,361,000
1,030,000
1,375,000
Jul 2005
2,568,000
2,368,000
1,068,000
1,380,000
Aug 2005
2,570,000
2,304,000
1,161,000
1,407,000
Sep 2005
2,763,000
2,294,000
1,098,000
1,439,000
Oct 2005
2,719,000
2,296,000
1,070,000
1,422,000
Nov 2005
2,823,000
2,282,000
1,116,000
1,370,000
Dec 2005
2,588,000
2,249,000
1,073,000
1,356,000
Jan 2006
2,527,000
2,194,000
1,100,000
1,170,000
Feb 2006
2,577,000
2,088,000
1,195,000
1,350,000
Mar 2006
2,659,000
1,999,000
1,064,000
1,309,000
Apr 2006
2,665,000
2,142,000
1,022,000
1,331,000
May 2006
2,545,000
2,189,000
969,000
1,333,000
Jun 2006
2,705,000
2,076,000
982,000
1,145,000
Jul 2006
2,721,000
2,126,000
986,000
1,304,000
Aug 2006
2,603,000
2,246,000
987,000
1,306,000
Sep 2006
2,608,000
2,053,000
986,000
1,245,000
Oct 2006
2,616,000
2,103,000
984,000
1,078,000
Nov 2006
2,511,000
2,212,000
1,028,000
1,131,000
Dec 2006
2,596,000
2,047,000
990,000
1,093,000
Jan 2007
2,561,000
2,267,000
1,015,000
1,141,000
Feb 2007
2,574,000
2,168,000
962,000
1,249,000
Mar 2007
2,307,000
2,138,000
1,010,000
1,245,000
Apr 2007
2,456,000
2,178,000
1,075,000
1,206,000
May 2007
2,464,000
2,183,000
1,100,000
1,132,000
Jun 2007
2,551,000
2,134,000
1,138,000
1,143,000
Jul 2007
2,502,000
2,203,000
1,073,000
1,291,000
Aug 2007
2,614,000
2,156,000
1,086,000
1,246,000
Sep 2007
2,557,000
2,292,000
1,091,000
1,264,000
Oct 2007
2,545,000
2,502,000
1,003,000
1,298,000
Nov 2007
2,645,000
2,241,000
992,000
1,374,000
Dec 2007
2,718,000
2,376,000
1,177,000
1,324,000
Jan 2008
2,554,000
2,406,000
1,152,000
1,388,000
Feb 2008
2,653,000
2,370,000
1,116,000
1,329,000
Mar 2008
2,823,000
2,537,000
1,168,000
1,323,000
Apr 2008
2,493,000
2,574,000
1,314,000
1,372,000
May 2008
3,278,000
2,476,000
1,219,000
1,561,000
Jun 2008
2,753,000
3,016,000
1,337,000
1,576,000
Jul 2008
2,854,000
2,833,000
1,450,000
1,664,000
Aug 2008
3,256,000
2,758,000
1,554,000
1,866,000
Sep 2008
2,848,000
3,035,000
1,599,000
2,027,000
Oct 2008
3,170,000
3,055,000
1,710,000
2,280,000
Nov 2008
3,335,000
3,260,000
1,704,000
2,219,000
Dec 2008
3,255,000
3,498,000
1,936,000
2,610,000
Jan 2009
3,524,000
3,662,000
2,065,000
2,699,000
Feb 2009
3,450,000
3,936,000
2,456,000
2,999,000
Mar 2009
3,465,000
4,122,000
2,625,000
3,260,000
Apr 2009
3,338,000
4,138,000
2,634,000
3,752,000
May 2009
3,246,000
4,458,000
3,049,000
3,973,000
Jun 2009
3,114,000
4,052,000
3,488,000
4,349,000
Jul 2009
3,137,000
3,505,000
2,923,000
4,917,000
Aug 2009
2,940,000
3,927,000
2,791,000
5,037,000
Sep 2009
2,841,000
3,775,000
2,908,000
5,494,000
Oct 2009
3,223,000
3,552,000
3,006,000
5,643,000
Nov 2009
2,816,000
3,457,000
2,847,000
5,908,000
Dec 2009
2,879,000
3,457,000
2,712,000
6,122,000
Jan 2010
2,921,000
3,390,000
2,574,000
6,319,000
Feb 2010
2,807,000
3,390,000
2,793,000
6,129,000
Mar 2010
2,769,000
3,294,000
2,542,000
6,545,000
Apr 2010
2,725,000
3,086,000
2,330,000
6,800,000
May 2010
2,773,000
3,127,000
2,260,000
6,638,000
Jun 2010
2,683,000
3,159,000
2,284,000
6,623,000
Jul 2010
2,806,000
2,972,000
2,208,000
6,506,000
Aug 2010
2,671,000
3,534,000
2,162,000
6,259,000
Sep 2010
2,819,000
3,308,000
2,291,000
6,163,000
Oct 2010
2,655,000
3,345,000
2,387,000
6,227,000
Nov 2010
2,912,000
3,321,000
2,370,000
6,326,000
Dec 2010
2,693,000
3,169,000
2,120,000
6,429,000
Jan 2011
2,686,000
3,033,000
2,218,000
6,175,000
Feb 2011
2,469,000
3,118,000
2,284,000
5,892,000
Mar 2011
2,535,000
2,980,000
2,061,000
6,105,000
Apr 2011
2,787,000
2,987,000
2,090,000
5,925,000
May 2011
2,668,000
2,903,000
2,052,000
6,153,000
Jun 2011
2,933,000
2,987,000
1,871,000
6,271,000
Jul 2011
2,632,000
2,931,000
1,982,000
6,195,000
Aug 2011
2,650,000
2,989,000
2,199,000
6,048,000
Sep 2011
2,754,000
2,881,000
2,012,000
6,304,000
Oct 2011
2,668,000
3,250,000
1,964,000
5,838,000
Nov 2011
2,556,000
2,913,000
2,009,000
5,698,000
Dec 2011
2,678,000
2,873,000
1,959,000
5,586,000
Jan 2012
2,474,000
2,908,000
1,957,000
5,476,000
Feb 2012
2,610,000
2,848,000
2,051,000
5,242,000
Mar 2012
2,708,000
2,788,000
1,940,000
5,236,000
Apr 2012
2,624,000
2,878,000
1,940,000
5,132,000
May 2012
2,550,000
3,006,000
1,690,000
5,401,000
Jun 2012
2,747,000
2,806,000
1,817,000
5,409,000
Jul 2012
2,662,000
2,984,000
1,773,000
5,210,000
Aug 2012
2,784,000
2,811,000
1,846,000
5,042,000
Sep 2012
2,538,000
2,819,000
1,863,000
4,911,000
Oct 2012
2,635,000
2,859,000
1,796,000
4,988,000
Nov 2012
2,620,000
2,776,000
1,745,000
4,805,000
Dec 2012
2,756,000
2,901,000
1,861,000
4,768,000
Jan 2013
2,784,000
3,115,000
1,879,000
4,654,000
Feb 2013
2,718,000
2,801,000
1,732,000
4,635,000
Mar 2013
2,462,000
2,828,000
1,778,000
4,514,000
Apr 2013
2,491,000
2,908,000
1,965,000
4,380,000
May 2013
2,664,000
2,627,000
1,954,000
4,361,000
Jun 2013
2,679,000
2,851,000
1,901,000
4,405,000
Jul 2013
2,478,000
2,772,000
1,783,000
4,290,000
Aug 2013
2,480,000
2,689,000
1,722,000
4,306,000
Sep 2013
2,610,000
2,680,000
1,826,000
4,161,000
Oct 2013
2,822,000
2,639,000
1,789,000
4,018,000
Nov 2013
2,410,000
2,587,000
1,691,000
4,086,000
Dec 2013
2,332,000
2,548,000
1,656,000
3,874,000
Jan 2014
2,489,000
2,431,000
1,707,000
3,601,000
Feb 2014
2,399,000
2,599,000
1,590,000
3,750,000
Mar 2014
2,441,000
2,573,000
1,672,000
3,663,000
Apr 2014
2,422,000
2,389,000
1,537,000
3,407,000
May 2014
2,559,000
2,356,000
1,441,000
3,364,000
Jun 2014
2,425,000
2,421,000
1,516,000
3,121,000
Jul 2014
2,543,000
2,419,000
1,417,000
3,185,000
Aug 2014
2,627,000
2,389,000
1,515,000
2,973,000
Sep 2014
2,370,000
2,526,000
1,440,000
2,968,000
Oct 2014
2,483,000
2,292,000
1,423,000
2,884,000
Nov 2014
2,484,000
2,391,000
1,386,000
2,844,000
Dec 2014
2,380,000
2,325,000
1,254,000
2,783,000
Jan 2015
2,424,000
2,316,000
1,401,000
2,778,000
Feb 2015
2,450,000
2,249,000
1,327,000
2,660,000
Mar 2015
2,466,000
2,330,000
1,241,000
2,536,000
Apr 2015
2,693,000
2,379,000
1,137,000
2,507,000
May 2015
2,415,000
2,494,000
1,286,000
2,503,000
Jun 2015
2,330,000
2,378,000
1,397,000
2,135,000
Jul 2015
2,483,000
2,229,000
1,176,000
2,183,000
Aug 2015
2,087,000
2,319,000
1,277,000
2,186,000
Sep 2015
2,357,000
2,223,000
1,228,000
2,108,000
Oct 2015
2,341,000
2,274,000
1,219,000
2,125,000
Nov 2015
2,399,000
2,278,000
1,265,000
2,066,000
Dec 2015
2,413,000
2,211,000
1,233,000
2,094,000
Jan 2016
2,257,000
2,287,000
1,140,000
2,094,000
Feb 2016
2,308,000
2,237,000
1,140,000
2,159,000
Mar 2016
2,420,000
2,210,000
1,167,000
2,213,000
Apr 2016
2,573,000
2,155,000
1,281,000
2,059,000
May 2016
2,197,000
2,251,000
1,174,000
1,893,000
Jun 2016
2,418,000
2,157,000
1,140,000
1,986,000
Jul 2016
2,147,000
2,274,000
1,158,000
2,017,000
Aug 2016
2,318,000
2,308,000
1,080,000
1,997,000
Sep 2016
2,584,000
2,220,000
1,164,000
1,963,000
Oct 2016
2,393,000
2,273,000
1,167,000
1,964,000
Nov 2016
2,415,000
2,133,000
1,073,000
1,856,000
Dec 2016
2,379,000
2,156,000
1,199,000
1,831,000
Jan 2017
2,468,000
2,089,000
1,192,000
1,850,000
Feb 2017
2,566,000
2,138,000
1,057,000
1,801,000
Mar 2017
2,334,000
2,109,000
1,115,000
1,687,000
Apr 2017
2,335,000
2,135,000
1,108,000
1,626,000
May 2017
2,154,000
1,960,000
1,157,000
1,663,000
Jun 2017
2,305,000
1,933,000
948,000
1,664,000
Jul 2017
2,133,000
2,017,000
957,000
1,785,000
Aug 2017
2,222,000
2,015,000
1,055,000
1,740,000
Sep 2017
2,226,000
1,874,000
963,000
1,733,000
Oct 2017
2,129,000
1,942,000
853,000
1,621,000
The number of long-term unemployed has declined 343,000 since October 2016. Since the most recent peak in April 2010, the number of long-term unemployed has fallen 5.2 million. The long-term unemployed accounted for 45.5 percent of all unemployed people in April 2010.
United States Department of Labor
