Office of Publications & Special Studies

How long before the unemployed find jobs or quit looking?

Chart 3. Share of the unemployed who were jobless for 27 weeks and over who became employed or left the labor force in the subsequent month, not seasonally adjusted 12-month moving average, January 1995–December 2010
Month Became employed Left the labor force

Jan 1995

 16.11 26.44

Feb 1995

 16.55 26.60

Mar 1995

 16.14 26.84

Apr 1995

 15.88 26.63

May 1995

 15.65 26.91

Jun 1995

 15.97 27.02

Jul 1995

 16.18 27.19

Aug 1995

 16.14 27.68

Sep 1995

 16.21 28.05

Oct 1995

 16.12 28.40

Nov 1995

 16.11 28.05

Dec 1995

 15.96 28.13

Jan 1996

 15.75 28.43

Feb 1996

 15.56 28.60

Mar 1996

 15.70 28.30

Apr 1996

 15.77 28.58

May 1996

 15.75 28.24

Jun 1996

 15.09 27.84

Jul 1996

 14.72 27.38

Aug 1996

 14.85 26.74

Sep 1996

 14.33 26.58

Oct 1996

 14.51 25.98

Nov 1996

 14.48 26.39

Dec 1996

 14.56 26.28

Jan 1997

 14.62 25.93

Feb 1997

 14.89 25.49

Mar 1997

 15.09 25.64

Apr 1997

 14.85 26.30

May 1997

 15.57 26.30

Jun 1997

 15.61 26.38

Jul 1997

 15.89 26.64

Aug 1997

 15.74 26.95

Sep 1997

 15.56 26.81

Oct 1997

 15.36 27.29

Nov 1997

 15.27 27.09

Dec 1997

 15.48 26.80

Jan 1998

 15.53 27.42

Feb 1998

 15.25 27.70

Mar 1998

 15.51 27.70

Apr 1998

 15.90 27.16

May 1998

 15.75 27.18

Jun 1998

 16.32 27.32

Jul 1998

 16.20 27.44

Aug 1998

 16.21 27.54

Sep 1998

 16.57 27.74

Oct 1998

 17.11 27.72

Nov 1998

 17.54 28.18

Dec 1998

 17.40 28.60

Jan 1999

 17.74 28.09

Feb 1999

 17.94 28.38

Mar 1999

 17.48 29.55

Apr 1999

 17.64 29.68

May 1999

 17.31 30.44

Jun 1999

 17.80 29.76

Jul 1999

 18.34 29.85

Aug 1999

 18.27 30.25

Sep 1999

 18.96 29.93

Oct 1999

 17.86 30.70

Nov 1999

 17.76 31.37

Dec 1999

 17.86 31.20

Jan 2000

 17.89 30.49

Feb 2000

 18.06 30.37

Mar 2000

 18.28 29.68

Apr 2000

 18.65 29.77

May 2000

 18.71 29.68

Jun 2000

 18.27 30.58

Jul 2000

 18.08 30.11

Aug 2000

 18.18 30.29

Sep 2000

 18.35 30.48

Oct 2000

 19.38 29.59

Nov 2000

 19.64 28.69

Dec 2000

 19.76 28.85

Jan 2001

 19.52 29.16

Feb 2001

 19.13 28.78

Mar 2001

 18.92 28.78

Apr 2001

 18.18 29.11

May 2001

 18.10 28.85

Jun 2001

 17.72 28.25

Jul 2001

 17.16 28.97

Aug 2001

 17.42 28.36

Sep 2001

 16.85 28.63

Oct 2001

 16.33 28.60

Nov 2001

 15.99 28.38

Dec 2001

 15.84 27.52

Jan 2002

 15.77 27.54

Feb 2002

 16.43 27.26

Mar 2002

 16.65 26.23

Apr 2002

 17.03 25.02

May 2002

 16.87 24.58

Jun 2002

 16.65 24.30

Jul 2002

 16.44 23.95

Aug 2002

 16.26 23.30

Sep 2002

 15.87 22.51

Oct 2002

 16.08 22.40

Nov 2002

 15.84 22.09

Dec 2002

 15.62 22.12

Jan 2003

 15.73 22.21

Feb 2003

 14.90 22.19

Mar 2003

 14.85 22.60

Apr 2003

 14.42 22.82

May 2003

 14.25 22.78

Jun 2003

 14.13 22.54

Jul 2003

 14.07 22.24

Aug 2003

 13.82 22.56

Sep 2003

 14.00 22.54

Oct 2003

 14.11 22.52

Nov 2003

 13.96 22.26

Dec 2003

 14.31 22.27

Jan 2004

 14.25 22.05

Feb 2004

 14.15 22.28

Mar 2004

 14.05 22.16

Apr 2004

 14.51 22.32

May 2004

 14.58 21.89

Jun 2004

 15.03 22.29

Jul 2004

 15.48 22.59

Aug 2004

 15.55 22.40

Sep 2004

 15.71 22.69

Oct 2004

 15.42 22.85

Nov 2004

 15.44 23.14

Dec 2004

 15.36 23.44

Jan 2005

 15.32 23.59

Feb 2005

 15.54 23.51

Mar 2005

 15.56 23.70

Apr 2005

 15.58 23.59

May 2005

 15.57 24.05

Jun 2005

 15.49 24.36

Jul 2005

 15.47 24.22

Aug 2005

 15.77 24.27

Sep 2005

 15.63 23.87

Oct 2005

 15.68 23.81

Nov 2005

 15.94 24.12

Dec 2005

 15.72 24.62

Jan 2006

 15.79 25.34

Feb 2006

 15.89 25.46

Mar 2006

 15.81 25.54

Apr 2006

 15.31 25.97

May 2006

 15.88 25.90

Jun 2006

 16.00 26.30

Jul 2006

 16.03 26.44

Aug 2006

 15.93 26.63

Sep 2006

 16.18 27.27

Oct 2006

 16.14 27.74

Nov 2006

 15.83 27.94

Dec 2006

 16.23 27.46

Jan 2007

 16.35 27.03

Feb 2007

 16.18 27.59

Mar 2007

 16.53 27.45

Apr 2007

 16.95 27.23

May 2007

 16.38 28.04

Jun 2007

 16.13 27.70

Jul 2007

 16.02 27.51

Aug 2007

 15.84 27.63

Sep 2007

 15.50 27.52

Oct 2007

 15.56 27.23

Nov 2007

 15.87 26.94

Dec 2007

 15.58 27.12

Jan 2008

 15.55 26.83

Feb 2008

 15.66 26.32

Mar 2008

 15.45 26.55

Apr 2008

 15.22 26.69

May 2008

 15.08 26.28

Jun 2008

 14.88 25.73

Jul 2008

 14.59 25.75

Aug 2008

 14.16 25.44

Sep 2008

 14.01 25.43

Oct 2008

 13.68 25.09

Nov 2008

 13.42 24.94

Dec 2008

 13.15 24.55

Jan 2009

 12.72 24.29

Feb 2009

 12.19 24.13

Mar 2009

 11.54 23.77

Apr 2009

 11.13 23.14

May 2009

 10.80 22.64

Jun 2009

 10.70 22.48

Jul 2009

 10.65 21.87

Aug 2009

 10.52 21.61

Sep 2009

 10.12 20.83

Oct 2009

 9.96 20.43

Nov 2009

 9.82 19.94

Dec 2009

 9.72 19.62

Jan 2010

 9.57 19.33

Feb 2010

 9.55 18.96

Mar 2010

 9.65 18.70

Apr 2010

 9.77 18.53

May 2010

 9.94 18.30

Jun 2010

 9.76 18.35

Jul 2010

 9.90 18.46

Aug 2010

 10.01 18.34

Sep 2010

 10.26 18.44

Oct 2010

 10.21 18.53

Nov 2010

 10.19 18.60

Dec 2010

 10.31 18.67

NOTE: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
Duration is based on the number of weeks unemployed in the month before becoming employed or leaving the labor force and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

These data featured in the Issues in Labor Statistics article, How long before the unemployed find jobs or quit looking?.

Recommend this page using: