Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization
[Percent]
Measure Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Mar.
2010		 Feb.
2011		 Mar.
2011		 Mar.
2010		 Nov.
2010		 Dec.
2010		 Jan.
2011		 Feb.
2011		 Mar.
2011

U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force

 6.3 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.5 5.3 5.3

U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force

 6.7 6.0 5.8 6.1 6.2 5.8 5.6 5.4 5.4

U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)

 10.2 9.5 9.2 9.7 9.8 9.4 9.0 8.9 8.8

U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers

 10.8 10.1 9.7 10.3 10.5 10.2 9.6 9.5 9.4

U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force

 11.5 11.1 10.6 11.0 11.2 10.9 10.7 10.5 10.3

U-6 Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force

 17.5 16.7 16.2 16.8 17.0 16.7 16.1 15.9 15.7

NOTE: Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the past 12 months. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for work. Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table of Contents

Last Modified Date: April 01, 2011