United States: Duration of Unemployment - 15 Weeks & Over

Macro

2026-08-07

Description

The Number Unemployed for 15 Weeks & Over is released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and measures the number of individuals who have been unemployed for 15 weeks or more and are still actively seeking work during the reporting period. This is a key indicator reflecting long-term unemployment and the overall health of the labor market.

An increase in this figure typically indicates persistent challenges in certain sectors of the economy or the potential onset of a recession, leading to a rise in long-term unemployment. Conversely, a decrease in this figure may suggest that the labor market is improving or that the economy is in a recovery phase, with long-term unemployed individuals finding jobs more quickly.

This data is released monthly, reflecting changes in the number of individuals unemployed for 15 weeks or more in the United States during the previous month.

Published by
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Choice)
Frequency
Monthly
Next Update
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AI Data Insight

The latest US data for Q3 2026 shows the number of people unemployed for 15 weeks or more dropped to 2.929 million, a decrease of 60,000 from the previous Q2 2026 figure. However, this improvement in long-term unemployment data does not stem from workers successfully finding jobs, but rather from a massive number of discouraged job seekers exiting the labor market. The overall contraction in nonfarm payrolls and the labor force participation rate falling to a new low suggest that employment momentum is facing severe challenges.

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AI Data Insight

The latest US data for Q3 2026 shows the number of people unemployed for 15 weeks or more dropped to 2.929 million, a decrease of 60,000 from the previous Q2 2026 figure. However, this improvement in long-term unemployment data does not stem from workers successfully finding jobs, but rather from a massive number of discouraged job seekers exiting the labor market. The overall contraction in nonfarm payrolls and the labor force participation rate falling to a new low suggest that employment momentum is facing severe challenges.

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Macro
Description

The Number Unemployed for 15 Weeks & Over is released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and measures the number of individuals who have been unemployed for 15 weeks or more and are still actively seeking work during the reporting period. This is a key indicator reflecting long-term unemployment and the overall health of the labor market.

An increase in this figure typically indicates persistent challenges in certain sectors of the economy or the potential onset of a recession, leading to a rise in long-term unemployment. Conversely, a decrease in this figure may suggest that the labor market is improving or that the economy is in a recovery phase, with long-term unemployed individuals finding jobs more quickly.

This data is released monthly, reflecting changes in the number of individuals unemployed for 15 weeks or more in the United States during the previous month.

Published by
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Choice)
Frequency
Monthly
Next Update
Hashtags