April 24, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Length of job search for the unemployed
Median number of weeks of unemployment for persons who became employed or left the labor force, 1994–2011 annual averages
| Year |
Became employed |
Left the labor force |
1994 |
5.4 |
9.1 |
1995 |
4.8 |
8.3 |
1996 |
4.7 |
7.6 |
1997 |
4.5 |
7.6 |
1998 |
4.2 |
6.9 |
1999 |
4.1 |
6.8 |
2000 |
4.0 |
6.5 |
2001 |
4.1 |
6.9 |
2002 |
5.6 |
8.7 |
2003 |
6.1 |
9.6 |
2004 |
6.0 |
9.6 |
2005 |
5.4 |
8.6 |
2006 |
5.1 |
8.3 |
2007 |
5.2 |
8.7 |
2008 |
5.6 |
9.5 |
2009 |
8.4 |
15.2 |
2010 |
10.4 |
20.0 |
2011 |
10.0 |
21.4 |
These data are featured in the TED article, Length of job search for the unemployed.
Percent distribution of unemployed men and women who found jobs by the number of weeks spent searching, annual averages, 2007 and 2011
| Weeks of unemployment |
Men |
Women |
| 2007 |
2011 |
2007 |
2011 |
Total |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
Fewer than 5 weeks |
48.7 |
35.3 |
49.4 |
35.3 |
5 to 14 weeks |
29.6 |
23.7 |
29.9 |
26.8 |
15 to 26 weeks |
11.9 |
13.6 |
10.7 |
12.2 |
27 to 52 weeks |
6.8 |
14.1 |
7.6 |
13.3 |
53 weeks or more |
3.1 |
13.2 |
2.4 |
12.4 |
These data are featured in the TED article, Length of job search for the unemployed.
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United States Department of Labor
