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
Nov.
2016		 Oct.
2017		 Nov.
2017		 Nov.
2016		 July
2017		 Aug.
2017		 Sept.
2017		 Oct.
2017		 Nov.
2017

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

 1.8 1.5 1.5 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.6

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

 2.1 1.8 1.8 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.0

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

 4.4 3.9 3.9 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.1 4.1

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

 4.8 4.2 4.2 5.0 4.7 4.7 4.5 4.4 4.4

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

 5.6 4.8 4.8 5.8 5.3 5.4 5.1 5.0 5.0

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

 9.0 7.6 7.7 9.3 8.6 8.6 8.3 7.9 8.0

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: December 08, 2017