|
FEBRUARY
2010 UNEMPLOYMENT DATA*
(U.S.
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS)
OFFICIAL UNEMPLOYMENT:
9.7%
A year earlier, the number of unemployed
persons was 12.7
million, and the jobless rate was 8.2 percent. [BLS]
| White |
8.8% |
| African
American |
15.8% |
| Hispanic |
12.4% |
| Asian** |
8.4% |
| Persons with a disability ** |
13.8% |
| Men
20 years and over |
10.0% |
| Women
20 years and over |
8.0% |
| Teen-agers
(16-19 years) |
25.0% |
| Black
teens |
42.0% |
| Officially
unemployed |
14.9
million |
HIDDEN UNEMPLOYMENT
| Working
part-time because can't find a full-time job: |
8.8
million |
| People
who want jobs but are
not looking so are
not counted in official statistics (of which about 2.5 million**
searched for work during the prior 12 months and were available
for work during the reference week.) |
6.2
million |
|
Total:
29.9 million (18.7% of the labor
force) |
Source: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
**Not seasonally adjusted.
*See Uncommon Sense #4 for an explanation of the unemployment measures.
In addition, millions
more were working full-time, year-round, yet earned
less than the official poverty level for a family of four. In
2008, the latest
year available, that number was 17.8 million, 17.1 percent of
full-time, full-year workers (estimated from Current
Population Survey, Bur. of the Census, 2009).
In January, 2010,
the latest month available, the number of job
openings was only 2.7 million, a slight improvement over
December, according to the BLS, Job
Openings and Labor Turnover Estimates, March 9, 2010.+
Thus there are now 11 job-wanters for each available job.[Numbers
are not comparable with previous months as methods have been revised.]
Comparing Long-Term Unemployment: 1999-2009
MONTHLY NET CHANGE IN
NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT, 12/07-9/09
Source: http://www.bls.gov/ces/
Change in Payroll Employment, Historical Data
Mass
layoffs: "Employers
took 1,570 mass layoff actions in February that resulted in the
separation of 155,718 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured
by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the
month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each
action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The
number of mass layoff events in February fell by 191 from the
prior month, and the number of associated initial claims decreased
by 26,543. Both events and initial claims have decreased in 5
out of the last 6 months. In February, 376 mass layoff events
were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted,
resulting in 43,100 initial claims. Both figures declined over
the month to their lowest levels since August 2007."BLS,
3/23/10
....
"REVIEW OF 2009 For all of 2009, on a not
seasonally adjusted basis, the total numbers of mass layoff events,
at 28,030, and initial claims, at 2,796,456, reached their highest
annual levels on record. Among the 19 major industry sectors in
the private economy, manufacturing had the most initial claims
in 2009 (1,137,106), followed by administrative and waste services
(294,709) and construction (205,765). Manufacturing also had the
largest over-the-year increase in total annual initial claims
(+266,796), with retail trade (+57,283) and administrative and
waste services (+48,039) experiencing the next largest increases.
Among the major industry sectors, 12 registered series highs for
both mass layoff events and initial claims in 2009: mining; construction;
wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation and warehousing;
finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; management
of companies and enterprises; administrative and waste services;
health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation;
and accommodation and food services.
....
Among the 4 census regions, the Midwest reported the highest number
of mass layoff initial claims filed during 2009 (892,202), followed
by the West and the South. All 4 regions experienced over-the-year
annual increases, with the largest increases taking place in the
Midwest (+215,611). The Midwest, Northeast, and South also reached
program highs for total initial claims in 2009. ...."
(BLS, January 27, 2010)
Source: http://www.epi.org/publication/snapshot_20090701/
+"Over the 12 months
ending in December, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) was
little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government.
The hires rate increased for transportation, warehousing, and
utilities and was essentially unchanged in all four regions.."
The
National Jobs for All Coalition is a project of the Council on
Public and International Affairs. |
