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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
CPS CPS Program Links
HOUSEHOLD DATA
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
QUARTERLY AVERAGES
E-10. Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment, seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
Duration 2010 2011 2012 2013
4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED

Less than 5 weeks

2,750 2,557 2,801 2,688 2,623 2,590 2,646 2,685 2,648 2,642 2,620 2,549 2,496

5 to 14 weeks

3,278 3,034 2,953 2,953 3,008 2,838 2,887 2,898 2,834 2,903 2,778 2,750 2,576

15 weeks and over

8,621 8,276 8,101 8,216 7,692 7,352 7,098 6,841 6,664 6,471 6,278 5,977 5,713

15 to 26 weeks

2,293 2,163 2,012 2,079 1,978 1,962 1,822 1,826 1,811 1,794 1,932 1,764 1,723

27 weeks and over

6,328 6,113 6,089 6,136 5,714 5,389 5,276 5,015 4,853 4,677 4,346 4,213 3,990

Average (mean) duration, in weeks(1)

34.3 38.0 39.3 40.3 40.0 39.9 39.6 39.1 39.2 36.4 36.4 36.8 36.7

Median duration, in weeks

21.5 21.5 21.5 22.0 20.8 20.1 19.6 18.0 18.8 17.2 16.8 16.2 16.9

PERCENT DISTRIBUTION

Total unemployed

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Less than 5 weeks

18.8 18.4 20.2 19.4 19.7 20.3 20.9 21.6 21.8 22.0 22.4 22.6 23.1

5 to 14 weeks

22.4 21.9 21.3 21.3 22.6 22.2 22.9 23.3 23.3 24.2 23.8 24.4 23.9

15 weeks and over

58.9 59.7 58.5 59.3 57.7 57.5 56.2 55.1 54.9 53.9 53.8 53.0 53.0

15 to 26 weeks

15.7 15.6 14.5 15.0 14.8 15.4 14.4 14.7 14.9 14.9 16.5 15.6 16.0

27 weeks and over

43.2 44.1 44.0 44.3 42.9 42.2 41.8 40.4 40.0 38.9 37.2 37.4 37.0

Footnotes
(1) Beginning in January 2011, this series reflects a change to the collection of data on unemployment duration. For more information, see www.bls.gov/cps/duration.htm.

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

 

Last Modified Date: April 18, 2023