Long-term unemployed accounted for 23.6 percent of all unemployed people in September 2025
December 01, 2025
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) changed little at 1.8 million in September 2025. The long-term unemployed accounted for 23.6 percent of all unemployed people. Over the past three years, this figure has ranged from 25.7 percent in August 2025 to 17.6 percent in February 2023.
Unemployed 27 weeks or longer as a percent of total unemployed, seasonally adjusted
Month
Percent
Sep 2015
26.3
Oct 2015
26.7
Nov 2015
25.8
Dec 2015
26.8
Jan 2016
27.1
Feb 2016
27.8
Mar 2016
28.0
Apr 2016
26.6
May 2016
25.5
Jun 2016
25.8
Jul 2016
25.4
Aug 2016
25.6
Sep 2016
24.2
Oct 2016
24.8
Nov 2016
24.7
Dec 2016
24.6
Jan 2017
24.8
Feb 2017
24.1
Mar 2017
23.6
Apr 2017
24.1
May 2017
25.0
Jun 2017
24.3
Jul 2017
25.2
Aug 2017
23.7
Sep 2017
24.5
Oct 2017
24.3
Nov 2017
23.6
Dec 2017
22.8
Jan 2018
22.5
Feb 2018
21.5
Mar 2018
20.9
Apr 2018
21.5
May 2018
20.2
Jun 2018
21.9
Jul 2018
22.9
Aug 2018
20.6
Sep 2018
22.2
Oct 2018
21.9
Nov 2018
20.1
Dec 2018
20.3
Jan 2019
19.8
Feb 2019
20.7
Mar 2019
20.4
Apr 2019
21.0
May 2019
22.6
Jun 2019
22.7
Jul 2019
20.2
Aug 2019
20.7
Sep 2019
23.2
Oct 2019
21.9
Nov 2019
20.5
Dec 2019
20.2
Jan 2020
20.0
Feb 2020
19.2
Mar 2020
15.9
Apr 2020
4.0
May 2020
5.5
Jun 2020
7.7
Jul 2020
9.5
Aug 2020
12.0
Sep 2020
19.3
Oct 2020
32.5
Nov 2020
36.5
Dec 2020
36.7
Jan 2021
39.8
Feb 2021
41.7
Mar 2021
42.9
Apr 2021
42.0
May 2021
40.4
Jun 2021
42.0
Jul 2021
39.8
Aug 2021
38.1
Sep 2021
35.3
Oct 2021
32.5
Nov 2021
32.4
Dec 2021
31.3
Jan 2022
25.2
Feb 2022
26.7
Mar 2022
23.0
Apr 2022
23.5
May 2022
22.2
Jun 2022
23.0
Jul 2022
19.4
Aug 2022
20.3
Sep 2022
19.4
Oct 2022
20.3
Nov 2022
20.9
Dec 2022
18.6
Jan 2023
18.9
Feb 2023
17.6
Mar 2023
18.1
Apr 2023
19.1
May 2023
19.0
Jun 2023
18.9
Jul 2023
20.3
Aug 2023
21.3
Sep 2023
19.4
Oct 2023
20.5
Nov 2023
18.6
Dec 2023
20.1
Jan 2024
20.7
Feb 2024
18.8
Mar 2024
19.5
Apr 2024
19.6
May 2024
20.6
Jun 2024
22.4
Jul 2024
21.6
Aug 2024
21.5
Sep 2024
23.5
Oct 2024
22.9
Nov 2024
23.1
Dec 2024
22.4
Jan 2025
21.1
Feb 2025
20.9
Mar 2025
21.3
Apr 2025
23.5
May 2025
20.4
Jun 2025
23.3
Jul 2025
24.9
Aug 2025
25.7
Sep 2025
23.6
These data are from the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted. For more information, see “The Employment Situation — September 2025 .” We also have more charts on employment and unemployment . To learn how unemployment rates are calculated, see "Unemployment Rate Explained ," a BLS video .
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