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Number of unemployed people decreased by 275,000 to 5.8 million in September 2019

October 09, 2019

In September, the number of people unemployed decreased by 275,000 to 5.8 million. Among these, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs declined by 304,000 to 2.6 million. This includes people who lost their jobs not due to a temporary layoff (–218,000) and people who lost their jobs because of a temporary layoff (–86,000).

 Number of unemployed people by reason for unemployment, September 2009–19, seasonally adjusted

Month

Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs

Job losers not on temporary layoff

Job losers on temporary layoff

Reentrants

Job leavers

New entrants

Sep 2009

9,956,000 8,063,000 1,894,000 3,262,000 880,000 1,153,000

Oct 2009

9,931,000 8,259,000 1,672,000 3,411,000 903,000 1,102,000

Nov 2009

9,752,000 8,229,000 1,522,000 3,236,000 936,000 1,330,000

Dec 2009

9,591,000 8,095,000 1,496,000 3,371,000 923,000 1,241,000

Jan 2010

9,341,000 7,878,000 1,463,000 3,650,000 911,000 1,195,000

Feb 2010

9,596,000 8,021,000 1,575,000 3,469,000 877,000 1,192,000

Mar 2010

9,575,000 7,907,000 1,668,000 3,591,000 893,000 1,146,000

Apr 2010

9,415,000 8,024,000 1,391,000 3,772,000 930,000 1,187,000

May 2010

9,237,000 7,768,000 1,469,000 3,388,000 973,000 1,202,000

Jun 2010

9,039,000 7,686,000 1,353,000 3,300,000 888,000 1,174,000

Jul 2010

8,999,000 7,805,000 1,194,000 3,377,000 903,000 1,208,000

Aug 2010

9,127,000 7,683,000 1,444,000 3,372,000 870,000 1,278,000

Sep 2010

9,142,000 7,804,000 1,338,000 3,399,000 804,000 1,217,000

Oct 2010

8,884,000 7,612,000 1,272,000 3,481,000 854,000 1,277,000

Nov 2010

9,491,000 8,048,000 1,442,000 3,445,000 860,000 1,275,000

Dec 2010

8,831,000 7,458,000 1,374,000 3,379,000 920,000 1,306,000

Jan 2011

8,475,000 7,252,000 1,224,000 3,358,000 915,000 1,342,000

Feb 2011

8,353,000 7,051,000 1,302,000 3,348,000 888,000 1,287,000

Mar 2011

8,338,000 7,088,000 1,250,000 3,317,000 888,000 1,287,000

Apr 2011

8,294,000 7,005,000 1,289,000 3,416,000 951,000 1,305,000

May 2011

8,264,000 7,018,000 1,247,000 3,379,000 915,000 1,227,000

Jun 2011

8,157,000 6,974,000 1,183,000 3,514,000 969,000 1,242,000

Jul 2011

8,114,000 6,935,000 1,179,000 3,383,000 939,000 1,281,000

Aug 2011

8,009,000 6,829,000 1,181,000 3,520,000 979,000 1,254,000

Sep 2011

8,027,000 6,824,000 1,203,000 3,470,000 973,000 1,378,000

Oct 2011

7,891,000 6,644,000 1,247,000 3,370,000 1,086,000 1,287,000

Nov 2011

7,651,000 6,471,000 1,180,000 3,357,000 1,011,000 1,277,000

Dec 2011

7,555,000 6,317,000 1,238,000 3,359,000 952,000 1,282,000

Jan 2012

7,263,000 5,987,000 1,277,000 3,253,000 942,000 1,260,000

Feb 2012

7,136,000 5,972,000 1,163,000 3,342,000 1,035,000 1,367,000

Mar 2012

7,037,000 5,887,000 1,150,000 3,278,000 1,097,000 1,388,000

Apr 2012

6,848,000 5,742,000 1,106,000 3,392,000 1,008,000 1,376,000

May 2012

6,975,000 5,826,000 1,149,000 3,384,000 899,000 1,358,000

Jun 2012

7,114,000 5,875,000 1,239,000 3,296,000 929,000 1,325,000

Jul 2012

7,096,000 5,743,000 1,353,000 3,369,000 867,000 1,303,000

Aug 2012

6,833,000 5,665,000 1,168,000 3,352,000 943,000 1,257,000

Sep 2012

6,548,000 5,362,000 1,185,000 3,306,000 950,000 1,260,000

Oct 2012

6,554,000 5,465,000 1,089,000 3,298,000 1,037,000 1,301,000

Nov 2012

6,464,000 5,379,000 1,085,000 3,319,000 914,000 1,333,000

Dec 2012

6,515,000 5,389,000 1,126,000 3,592,000 992,000 1,291,000

Jan 2013

6,644,000 5,442,000 1,202,000 3,430,000 998,000 1,272,000

Feb 2013

6,453,000 5,370,000 1,083,000 3,306,000 947,000 1,253,000

Mar 2013

6,239,000 5,125,000 1,113,000 3,164,000 976,000 1,295,000

Apr 2013

6,338,000 5,137,000 1,202,000 3,184,000 888,000 1,302,000

May 2013

6,090,000 5,092,000 998,000 3,311,000 942,000 1,272,000

Jun 2013

6,119,000 4,965,000 1,153,000 3,381,000 1,029,000 1,246,000

Jul 2013

5,852,000 4,688,000 1,165,000 3,243,000 971,000 1,259,000

Aug 2013

5,893,000 4,876,000 1,017,000 3,150,000 880,000 1,289,000

Sep 2013

5,855,000 4,741,000 1,114,000 3,161,000 974,000 1,207,000

Oct 2013

6,255,000 4,676,000 1,579,000 3,057,000 852,000 1,221,000

Nov 2013

5,738,000 4,643,000 1,095,000 3,042,000 870,000 1,154,000

Dec 2013

5,433,000 4,424,000 1,008,000 3,009,000 855,000 1,199,000

Jan 2014

5,359,000 4,342,000 1,018,000 2,791,000 816,000 1,158,000

Feb 2014

5,422,000 4,406,000 1,016,000 2,969,000 814,000 1,209,000

Mar 2014

5,374,000 4,327,000 1,046,000 3,027,000 795,000 1,177,000

Apr 2014

5,177,000 4,126,000 1,051,000 2,622,000 806,000 1,082,000

May 2014

5,013,000 3,958,000 1,055,000 2,859,000 876,000 1,068,000

Jun 2014

4,814,000 3,827,000 987,000 2,794,000 854,000 1,036,000

Jul 2014

4,774,000 3,806,000 968,000 2,891,000 857,000 1,098,000

Aug 2014

4,761,000 3,674,000 1,087,000 2,905,000 849,000 1,050,000

Sep 2014

4,528,000 3,584,000 944,000 2,800,000 812,000 1,103,000

Oct 2014

4,368,000 3,477,000 892,000 2,839,000 781,000 1,072,000

Nov 2014

4,483,000 3,453,000 1,030,000 2,748,000 824,000 1,048,000

Dec 2014

4,339,000 3,393,000 947,000 2,676,000 793,000 964,000

Jan 2015

4,220,000 3,310,000 909,000 2,743,000 866,000 1,008,000

Feb 2015

4,178,000 3,165,000 1,013,000 2,626,000 900,000 935,000

Mar 2015

4,148,000 3,135,000 1,014,000 2,678,000 864,000 827,000

Apr 2015

4,151,000 3,146,000 1,005,000 2,677,000 843,000 872,000

May 2015

4,425,000 3,263,000 1,162,000 2,591,000 819,000 976,000

Jun 2015

4,058,000 3,047,000 1,011,000 2,546,000 768,000 904,000

Jul 2015

4,073,000 3,111,000 962,000 2,453,000 842,000 833,000

Aug 2015

3,981,000 3,028,000 952,000 2,374,000 774,000 841,000

Sep 2015

3,857,000 2,953,000 904,000 2,423,000 777,000 839,000

Oct 2015

3,985,000 3,001,000 984,000 2,408,000 784,000 824,000

Nov 2015

3,910,000 3,021,000 889,000 2,438,000 782,000 863,000

Dec 2015

3,800,000 2,883,000 917,000 2,463,000 818,000 853,000

Jan 2016

3,629,000 2,725,000 904,000 2,454,000 776,000 800,000

Feb 2016

3,729,000 2,773,000 956,000 2,459,000 775,000 818,000

Mar 2016

3,821,000 2,884,000 937,000 2,523,000 837,000 788,000

Apr 2016

3,866,000 2,987,000 879,000 2,353,000 876,000 849,000

May 2016

3,738,000 2,788,000 950,000 2,203,000 787,000 894,000

Jun 2016

3,753,000 2,676,000 1,077,000 2,292,000 830,000 889,000

Jul 2016

3,706,000 2,736,000 970,000 2,299,000 830,000 819,000

Aug 2016

3,776,000 2,794,000 982,000 2,277,000 874,000 862,000

Sep 2016

3,972,000 2,865,000 1,108,000 2,311,000 914,000 804,000

Oct 2016

3,783,000 2,749,000 1,035,000 2,332,000 956,000 799,000

Nov 2016

3,542,000 2,711,000 831,000 2,253,000 925,000 736,000

Dec 2016

3,623,000 2,600,000 1,023,000 2,189,000 907,000 775,000

Jan 2017

3,650,000 2,607,000 1,043,000 2,158,000 873,000 786,000

Feb 2017

3,651,000 2,682,000 970,000 2,210,000 813,000 750,000

Mar 2017

3,501,000 2,541,000 959,000 2,061,000 785,000 796,000

Apr 2017

3,538,000 2,584,000 953,000 2,022,000 779,000 703,000

May 2017

3,428,000 2,556,000 872,000 2,103,000 782,000 674,000

Jun 2017

3,422,000 2,544,000 879,000 2,038,000 809,000 682,000

Jul 2017

3,329,000 2,320,000 1,009,000 2,096,000 744,000 696,000

Aug 2017

3,519,000 2,502,000 1,017,000 2,148,000 785,000 653,000

Sep 2017

3,356,000 2,446,000 909,000 2,073,000 748,000 663,000

Oct 2017

3,236,000 2,365,000 872,000 1,998,000 746,000 622,000

Nov 2017

3,175,000 2,248,000 928,000 2,035,000 751,000 708,000

Dec 2017

3,249,000 2,326,000 923,000 1,985,000 726,000 568,000

Jan 2018

3,243,000 2,335,000 908,000 1,959,000 724,000 638,000

Feb 2018

3,227,000 2,356,000 871,000 1,954,000 784,000 703,000

Mar 2018

3,107,000 2,242,000 865,000 1,966,000 860,000 615,000

Apr 2018

2,965,000 2,100,000 865,000 2,001,000 812,000 615,000

May 2018

2,882,000 2,054,000 829,000 1,868,000 844,000 569,000

Jun 2018

3,055,000 2,154,000 901,000 2,078,000 801,000 579,000

Jul 2018

2,996,000 2,117,000 879,000 1,804,000 835,000 592,000

Aug 2018

2,868,000 2,013,000 855,000 1,864,000 866,000 586,000

Sep 2018

2,796,000 1,984,000 812,000 1,889,000 739,000 588,000

Oct 2018

2,858,000 2,066,000 793,000 1,914,000 731,000 605,000

Nov 2018

2,842,000 2,038,000 804,000 1,880,000 697,000 577,000

Dec 2018

2,903,000 2,141,000 762,000 1,958,000 839,000 588,000

Jan 2019

3,082,000 2,144,000 937,000 1,945,000 805,000 606,000

Feb 2019

2,857,000 2,037,000 820,000 1,905,000 840,000 623,000

Mar 2019

2,837,000 1,960,000 878,000 2,007,000 779,000 614,000

Apr 2019

2,651,000 1,934,000 717,000 1,926,000 737,000 530,000

May 2019

2,664,000 1,795,000 869,000 1,870,000 803,000 599,000

Jun 2019

2,736,000 1,935,000 801,000 1,868,000 888,000 541,000

Jul 2019

2,798,000 1,963,000 836,000 1,810,000 833,000 595,000

Aug 2019

2,876,000 2,059,000 817,000 1,801,000 781,000 574,000

Sep 2019

2,572,000 1,841,000 731,000 1,669,000 840,000 677,000

The number of new entrants—that is, unemployed people who never previously worked—increased by 103,000 to 677,000. Unemployed people who reentered the labor market numbered 1.7 million, and 840,000 people were unemployed because they left their jobs.

These data are from the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — September 2019.” More charts featuring Current Population Survey data are presented in Charts related to the latest "The Employment Situation" news release.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Number of unemployed people decreased by 275,000 to 5.8 million in September 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/number-of-unemployed-people-decreased-by-275000-to-5-point-8-million-in-september-2019.htm (visited December 11, 2024).

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