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Long-term unemployed account for 19.6 percent of total unemployed in April 2024
May 08, 2024
In April 2024, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was at 1.3 million, or 19.6 percent of all unemployed people. Those unemployed long term made up 19.4 percent of the total unemployed in April 2023, 23.0 percent in April 2022, and 42.9 percent in March 2021 (the recent peak).
Percent distribution of duration of unemployment, April 2019–April 2024
Month
Less than 5 weeks (percent)
5-14 weeks (percent)
15-26 weeks (percent)
27 weeks and over (percent)
Less than 5 weeks, number of unemployed
5-14 weeks, number of unemployed
15-26 weeks, number of unemployed
27 weeks and over, number of unemployed
Apr 2019
33.6
32.0
13.4
21.0
1,966,000
1,875,000
783,000
1,230,000
May 2019
36.8
27.0
13.6
22.6
2,114,000
1,550,000
784,000
1,299,000
Jun 2019
32.2
30.8
14.2
22.7
1,889,000
1,805,000
835,000
1,333,000
Jul 2019
34.8
30.2
14.8
20.2
2,110,000
1,831,000
898,000
1,227,000
Aug 2019
37.3
28.1
13.9
20.7
2,268,000
1,710,000
847,000
1,257,000
Sep 2019
32.0
30.2
14.6
23.2
1,849,000
1,743,000
846,000
1,338,000
Oct 2019
32.6
29.9
15.5
21.9
1,922,000
1,760,000
915,000
1,291,000
Nov 2019
35.1
29.2
15.1
20.5
2,067,000
1,721,000
887,000
1,208,000
Dec 2019
35.5
30.3
14.1
20.2
2,090,000
1,784,000
829,000
1,188,000
Jan 2020
35.0
29.9
15.2
19.9
2,053,000
1,755,000
891,000
1,166,000
Feb 2020
36.4
30.9
13.3
19.5
2,105,000
1,785,000
766,000
1,125,000
Mar 2020
47.5
25.8
11.6
15.0
3,422,000
1,860,000
836,000
1,082,000
Apr 2020
62.0
30.7
3.1
4.2
14,261,000
7,066,000
713,000
965,000
May 2020
18.5
70.9
5.2
5.4
3,868,000
14,806,000
1,077,000
1,124,000
Jun 2020
16.4
65.1
10.9
7.7
2,896,000
11,522,000
1,923,000
1,355,000
Jul 2020
19.3
31.5
39.8
9.3
3,152,000
5,145,000
6,498,000
1,518,000
Aug 2020
17.2
22.9
47.8
12.2
2,336,000
3,105,000
6,491,000
1,653,000
Sep 2020
20.1
21.6
38.9
19.3
2,547,000
2,735,000
4,921,000
2,447,000
Oct 2020
22.4
21.2
23.8
32.6
2,466,000
2,342,000
2,624,000
3,600,000
Nov 2020
23.1
22.7
17.5
36.6
2,487,000
2,440,000
1,878,000
3,937,000
Dec 2020
26.9
21.7
14.7
36.6
2,902,000
2,344,000
1,590,000
3,955,000
Jan 2021
22.6
24.4
13.0
40.0
2,291,000
2,474,000
1,321,000
4,055,000
Feb 2021
22.3
22.3
14.1
41.4
2,216,000
2,214,000
1,399,000
4,118,000
Mar 2021
22.4
20.5
14.2
42.9
2,179,000
1,991,000
1,386,000
4,174,000
Apr 2021
24.8
20.5
12.9
41.7
2,409,000
1,992,000
1,256,000
4,053,000
May 2021
21.8
23.8
13.5
40.9
1,998,000
2,181,000
1,240,000
3,757,000
Jun 2021
20.9
23.0
14.6
41.4
1,985,000
2,188,000
1,387,000
3,933,000
Jul 2021
25.8
21.0
13.0
40.2
2,257,000
1,836,000
1,134,000
3,508,000
Aug 2021
25.1
22.8
14.4
37.7
2,103,000
1,914,000
1,206,000
3,155,000
Sep 2021
29.1
22.4
12.7
35.7
2,238,000
1,720,000
979,000
2,742,000
Oct 2021
28.2
25.8
13.3
32.8
2,049,000
1,875,000
969,000
2,383,000
Nov 2021
29.5
25.0
13.1
32.5
1,988,000
1,682,000
880,000
2,191,000
Dec 2021
31.0
25.1
12.9
30.9
1,974,000
1,595,000
823,000
1,968,000
Jan 2022
37.5
24.5
11.9
26.1
2,472,000
1,611,000
786,000
1,715,000
Feb 2022
33.9
27.9
12.7
25.5
2,145,000
1,768,000
803,000
1,615,000
Mar 2022
38.3
28.6
9.4
23.6
2,305,000
1,723,000
567,000
1,422,000
Apr 2022
38.7
27.3
11.0
23.0
2,277,000
1,608,000
647,000
1,354,000
May 2022
34.9
30.2
12.0
22.9
2,030,000
1,757,000
696,000
1,333,000
Jun 2022
38.0
26.1
13.9
22.0
2,240,000
1,536,000
816,000
1,296,000
Jul 2022
36.4
32.1
11.4
20.2
2,097,000
1,849,000
656,000
1,166,000
Aug 2022
36.4
30.0
14.2
19.4
2,214,000
1,828,000
864,000
1,181,000
Sep 2022
37.4
28.1
14.3
20.2
2,156,000
1,619,000
822,000
1,164,000
Oct 2022
36.6
30.1
13.0
20.3
2,189,000
1,803,000
775,000
1,216,000
Nov 2022
37.7
27.9
13.7
20.6
2,247,000
1,665,000
815,000
1,229,000
Dec 2022
38.5
28.6
13.8
19.2
2,218,000
1,645,000
792,000
1,106,000
Jan 2023
33.8
31.3
16.2
18.7
1,942,000
1,795,000
929,000
1,073,000
Feb 2023
38.3
30.7
13.6
17.5
2,294,000
1,838,000
812,000
1,051,000
Mar 2023
38.7
30.0
13.5
17.8
2,279,000
1,765,000
797,000
1,050,000
Apr 2023
33.2
34.1
13.3
19.4
1,867,000
1,920,000
748,000
1,089,000
May 2023
34.7
31.1
15.2
18.9
2,080,000
1,863,000
911,000
1,132,000
Jun 2023
34.8
31.2
15.2
18.8
2,065,000
1,850,000
905,000
1,117,000
Jul 2023
34.0
29.5
16.2
20.4
2,007,000
1,741,000
956,000
1,205,000
Aug 2023
34.6
29.7
15.1
20.6
2,224,000
1,913,000
970,000
1,326,000
Sep 2023
32.2
32.0
15.4
20.4
2,053,000
2,043,000
985,000
1,303,000
Oct 2023
35.0
28.4
16.7
19.9
2,269,000
1,836,000
1,079,000
1,291,000
Nov 2023
33.0
32.8
14.8
19.4
2,069,000
2,060,000
931,000
1,220,000
Dec 2023
34.6
28.3
17.4
19.7
2,191,000
1,791,000
1,104,000
1,245,000
Jan 2024
34.9
30.1
14.1
20.8
2,140,000
1,848,000
867,000
1,277,000
Feb 2024
36.1
30.0
15.1
18.7
2,326,000
1,933,000
974,000
1,203,000
Mar 2024
34.2
30.9
15.3
19.5
2,189,000
1,979,000
982,000
1,246,000
Apr 2024
35.5
31.2
13.6
19.6
2,262,000
1,987,000
869,000
1,250,000
The share unemployed for 15 to 26 weeks in April 2024 was 13.6 percent, the lowest since April 2023 (13.3 percent). The share unemployed for 15 to 26 weeks has not been below 13.0 percent since July 2022 (11.4 percent). The share unemployed for 5 to 14 weeks was 31.2 percent in April 2024, while the share unemployed for less than 5 weeks was 35.5 percent.
United States Department of Labor
