July 08, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Unemployment in June

The number of unemployed persons (8.4 million) and the unemployment rate (5.9 percent) were essentially unchanged in June for the second month in a row. Both measures, however, were higher in the second quarter of this year than in the first quarter.

Unemployed 15 weeks and over as a share of total unemployment, Dec. 1999-June 2002
[Chart data—TXT]

The number of persons unemployed for 15 weeks or more increased in June to 3.1 million. The number of such persons has grown by nearly 700,000 so far this year and, since June 2001, has about doubled.

These data are a product of the Current Population Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Find out more in "The Employment Situation: June 2002," (PDF) (TXT) news release USDL 02-376.