From Table A-12. Alternative measures of labor underutilization weeks or longer
Jan. Jan.
2008 2009
Persons unemployed 15
as a percent of
the civilian labor force 1.7 3.0
Job losers and persons who
completed temporary jobs, as
a percent of the civilian labor force 3.0 4.5
Total unemployed, as a percent of
the civilian labor force
(official unemployment rate)1 5.4 7.6
Total unemployed plus discouraged
workers, as a percent of the civilian
labor force plusdiscouraged workers 5.7 8.0
Total unemployed, plus discouraged
workers, plus all other marginally
attached workers, percent of the
civilian labor force plus all
marginally attached workers. 6.4 8.8
Total unemployed, plus all marginally
attached workers, plus total employed
part time for economic reasons, as a
percent of the civilian labor force
plus all marginally attached workers2 9.9 13.9
Notes from DrTed 1 The unemployment rate reported in newspapers, radio/TV, and the blogs. 2 The underemployment (including the unemployed) rate
NOTE FROM THE BLS: Marginally attached workers are persons 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 recent past. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not looking currently for a job. 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.)
