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
Nov.
2011		 Oct.
2012		 Nov.
2012		 Nov.
2011		 July
2012		 Aug.
2012		 Sept.
2012		 Oct.
2012		 Nov.
2012

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

 4.9 4.3 4.2 5.0 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.3

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

 4.7 3.9 3.9 4.9 4.6 4.5 4.2 4.2 4.1

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

 8.2 7.5 7.4 8.7 8.3 8.1 7.8 7.9 7.7

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

 8.9 8.0 7.9 9.3 8.8 8.6 8.3 8.4 8.3

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

 9.7 9.0 8.8 10.2 9.7 9.6 9.3 9.3 9.2

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

 15.0 13.9 13.9 15.6 15.0 14.7 14.7 14.6 14.4

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.

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Last Modified Date: December 07, 2012