For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Contact: Phoebe Silag or Karen Conner, news@epi.org 202-775-8810

During the last two downturns, the highest the unemployment rate reached was 7.8% before declining again. Today’s Snapshot shows that the Great Recession has been far worse for the job market. In fact, we have now been a full percentage point over that level for more than two years: the unemployment rate has been at or above 8.8% for the past 28 months.