Unemployment, duration of unemployment, and share of long-term unemployed, 1979–2019
| Unemployment duration (weeks) | Percent unemployed more than 26 weeks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Unemployment rate | Average | Median | |
| 1979 | 5.9% | 10.8 | 5.4 | 8.7% |
| 1983 | 9.6% | 20.0 | 10.1 | 23.9% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | 16.8 | 8.5 | 17.6% |
| 2009 | 9.3% | 24.4 | 15.1 | 31.5% |
Source: Author's analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data on unemployment duration.