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The data labels on the horizontal axis in the second chart were incorrect. The labels were corrected on June 10, 2015, to reflect the May 2006–May 2015 period.
Labor force participation rate little changed at 62.9% in May 2015
June 09, 2015
In May 2015, the unemployment rate (5.5 percent) and the number of unemployed (8.7 million) were essentially unchanged. Both measures have shown little movement since February. The labor force participation rate was little changed at 62.9 percent. Since April 2014, the participation rate has remained within a narrow range of 62.7 percent to 62.9 percent. The employment–population ratio, at 59.4 percent, was essentially unchanged in May.
Labor force participation rate and employment–population ratio, seasonally adjusted, May 2006–May 2015
Month
Labor force participation rate
Employment-population ratio
May 2006
66.1
63.1
Jun 2006
66.2
63.1
Jul 2006
66.1
63.0
Aug 2006
66.2
63.1
Sep 2006
66.1
63.1
Oct 2006
66.2
63.3
Nov 2006
66.3
63.3
Dec 2006
66.4
63.4
Jan 2007
66.4
63.3
Feb 2007
66.3
63.3
Mar 2007
66.2
63.3
Apr 2007
65.9
63.0
May 2007
66.0
63.0
Jun 2007
66.0
63.0
Jul 2007
66.0
62.9
Aug 2007
65.8
62.7
Sep 2007
66.0
62.9
Oct 2007
65.8
62.7
Nov 2007
66.0
62.9
Dec 2007
66.0
62.7
Jan 2008
66.2
62.9
Feb 2008
66.0
62.8
Mar 2008
66.1
62.7
Apr 2008
65.9
62.7
May 2008
66.1
62.5
Jun 2008
66.1
62.4
Jul 2008
66.1
62.2
Aug 2008
66.1
62.0
Sep 2008
66.0
61.9
Oct 2008
66.0
61.7
Nov 2008
65.9
61.4
Dec 2008
65.8
61.0
Jan 2009
65.7
60.6
Feb 2009
65.8
60.3
Mar 2009
65.6
59.9
Apr 2009
65.7
59.8
May 2009
65.7
59.6
Jun 2009
65.7
59.4
Jul 2009
65.5
59.3
Aug 2009
65.4
59.1
Sep 2009
65.1
58.7
Oct 2009
65.0
58.5
Nov 2009
65.0
58.6
Dec 2009
64.6
58.3
Jan 2010
64.8
58.5
Feb 2010
64.9
58.5
Mar 2010
64.9
58.5
Apr 2010
65.2
58.7
May 2010
64.9
58.6
Jun 2010
64.6
58.5
Jul 2010
64.6
58.5
Aug 2010
64.7
58.6
Sep 2010
64.6
58.5
Oct 2010
64.4
58.3
Nov 2010
64.6
58.2
Dec 2010
64.3
58.3
Jan 2011
64.2
58.3
Feb 2011
64.2
58.4
Mar 2011
64.2
58.4
Apr 2011
64.2
58.4
May 2011
64.1
58.4
Jun 2011
64.0
58.2
Jul 2011
64.0
58.2
Aug 2011
64.1
58.3
Sep 2011
64.2
58.4
Oct 2011
64.1
58.4
Nov 2011
64.1
58.6
Dec 2011
64.0
58.6
Jan 2012
63.7
58.5
Feb 2012
63.8
58.5
Mar 2012
63.8
58.6
Apr 2012
63.7
58.5
May 2012
63.8
58.5
Jun 2012
63.8
58.6
Jul 2012
63.7
58.5
Aug 2012
63.5
58.4
Sep 2012
63.6
58.6
Oct 2012
63.7
58.8
Nov 2012
63.6
58.7
Dec 2012
63.7
58.6
Jan 2013
63.7
58.6
Feb 2013
63.5
58.6
Mar 2013
63.3
58.5
Apr 2013
63.4
58.6
May 2013
63.4
58.6
Jun 2013
63.4
58.7
Jul 2013
63.3
58.7
Aug 2013
63.2
58.7
Sep 2013
63.2
58.6
Oct 2013
62.8
58.2
Nov 2013
63.0
58.6
Dec 2013
62.8
58.6
Jan 2014
63.0
58.8
Feb 2014
63.0
58.8
Mar 2014
63.2
59.0
Apr 2014
62.8
58.9
May 2014
62.8
58.9
Jun 2014
62.8
59.0
Jul 2014
62.9
59.0
Aug 2014
62.9
59.0
Sep 2014
62.7
59.0
Oct 2014
62.8
59.2
Nov 2014
62.9
59.2
Dec 2014
62.7
59.2
Jan 2015
62.9
59.3
Feb 2015
62.8
59.3
Mar 2015
62.7
59.3
Apr 2015
62.8
59.3
May 2015
62.9
59.4
The number of people unemployed for less than 5 weeks decreased by 311,000 to 2.4 million in May, following an increase in April. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) held at 2.5 million in May and accounted for 28.6 percent of the unemployed. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed declined by 849,000.
Number of unemployed people by duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, May 2006–May 2015
Month
Less than 5 weeks
5 to 14 weeks
15 to 26 weeks
27 Weeks & over
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
2,678,000
3,026,000
2,211,000
6,202,000
Feb 2011
2,470,000
3,106,000
2,267,000
5,919,000
Mar 2011
2,535,000
2,979,000
2,056,000
6,110,000
Apr 2011
2,789,000
2,979,000
2,073,000
5,931,000
May 2011
2,670,000
2,928,000
2,047,000
6,151,000
Jun 2011
2,940,000
2,987,000
1,897,000
6,233,000
Jul 2011
2,635,000
2,942,000
2,002,000
6,166,000
Aug 2011
2,643,000
2,992,000
2,204,000
6,033,000
Sep 2011
2,754,000
2,881,000
2,022,000
6,280,000
Oct 2011
2,666,000
3,253,000
1,944,000
5,856,000
Nov 2011
2,557,000
2,913,000
2,018,000
5,692,000
Dec 2011
2,676,000
2,870,000
1,967,000
5,599,000
Jan 2012
2,464,000
2,900,000
1,940,000
5,503,000
Feb 2012
2,610,000
2,828,000
2,027,000
5,298,000
Mar 2012
2,710,000
2,795,000
1,935,000
5,247,000
Apr 2012
2,628,000
2,859,000
1,919,000
5,130,000
May 2012
2,552,000
3,040,000
1,696,000
5,389,000
Jun 2012
2,750,000
2,809,000
1,849,000
5,358,000
Jul 2012
2,678,000
3,000,000
1,780,000
5,188,000
Aug 2012
2,790,000
2,825,000
1,844,000
5,033,000
Sep 2012
2,538,000
2,808,000
1,865,000
4,889,000
Oct 2012
2,623,000
2,866,000
1,769,000
5,019,000
Nov 2012
2,625,000
2,774,000
1,776,000
4,781,000
Dec 2012
2,745,000
2,887,000
1,886,000
4,771,000
Jan 2013
2,757,000
3,107,000
1,862,000
4,683,000
Feb 2013
2,712,000
2,769,000
1,723,000
4,695,000
Mar 2013
2,478,000
2,840,000
1,773,000
4,531,000
Apr 2013
2,502,000
2,870,000
1,934,000
4,381,000
May 2013
2,664,000
2,666,000
1,962,000
4,349,000
Jun 2013
2,679,000
2,852,000
1,917,000
4,352,000
Jul 2013
2,507,000
2,790,000
1,791,000
4,269,000
Aug 2013
2,477,000
2,725,000
1,712,000
4,297,000
Sep 2013
2,609,000
2,657,000
1,817,000
4,138,000
Oct 2013
2,798,000
2,659,000
1,772,000
4,046,000
Nov 2013
2,420,000
2,581,000
1,719,000
4,059,000
Dec 2013
2,323,000
2,525,000
1,680,000
3,877,000
Jan 2014
2,449,000
2,428,000
1,699,000
3,628,000
Feb 2014
2,388,000
2,558,000
1,597,000
3,804,000
Mar 2014
2,477,000
2,584,000
1,669,000
3,682,000
Apr 2014
2,451,000
2,346,000
1,509,000
3,413,000
May 2014
2,553,000
2,401,000
1,451,000
3,351,000
Jun 2014
2,423,000
2,418,000
1,516,000
3,076,000
Jul 2014
2,583,000
2,435,000
1,423,000
3,166,000
Aug 2014
2,609,000
2,444,000
1,500,000
2,966,000
Sep 2014
2,372,000
2,495,000
1,423,000
2,951,000
Oct 2014
2,455,000
2,322,000
1,416,000
2,904,000
Nov 2014
2,505,000
2,378,000
1,403,000
2,822,000
Dec 2014
2,375,000
2,293,000
1,274,000
2,785,000
Jan 2015
2,383,000
2,318,000
1,380,000
2,800,000
Feb 2015
2,431,000
2,223,000
1,335,000
2,709,000
Mar 2015
2,488,000
2,312,000
1,253,000
2,563,000
Apr 2015
2,729,000
2,307,000
1,139,000
2,525,000
May 2015
2,418,000
2,532,000
1,293,000
2,502,000
These data come from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — May 2015” (HTML) (PDF). For more charts featuring Current Population Survey data, see Charting the labor market: Data from the Current Population Survey (PDF). The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population. The employment–population ratio is the employed as a percent of the population.
United States Department of Labor
