The unemployment rate is vastly understating weakness in today’s labor market: Unemployment rate, actual and if missing workers* were looking for work, January 2006–July 2014
| Date | Actual | If missing workers were looking for work |
|---|---|---|
| 2006-01-01 | 4.7% | 5.0% |
| 2006-02-01 | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| 2006-03-01 | 4.7% | 4.8% |
| 2006-04-01 | 4.7% | 4.9% |
| 2006-05-01 | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| 2006-06-01 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| 2006-07-01 | 4.7% | 4.8% |
| 2006-08-01 | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| 2006-09-01 | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| 2006-10-01 | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| 2006-11-01 | 4.5% | 4.4% |
| 2006-12-01 | 4.4% | 4.1% |
| 2007-01-01 | 4.6% | 4.4% |
| 2007-02-01 | 4.5% | 4.4% |
| 2007-03-01 | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| 2007-04-01 | 4.5% | 4.9% |
| 2007-05-01 | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| 2007-06-01 | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| 2007-07-01 | 4.7% | 4.9% |
| 2007-08-01 | 4.6% | 5.1% |
| 2007-09-01 | 4.7% | 4.9% |
| 2007-10-01 | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| 2007-11-01 | 4.7% | 4.9% |
| 2007-12-01 | 5.0% | 5.1% |
| 2008-01-01 | 5.0% | 4.8% |
| 2008-02-01 | 4.9% | 5.0% |
| 2008-03-01 | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| 2008-04-01 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| 2008-05-01 | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| 2008-06-01 | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2008-07-01 | 5.8% | 5.7% |
| 2008-08-01 | 6.1% | 6.0% |
| 2008-09-01 | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| 2008-10-01 | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| 2008-11-01 | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| 2008-12-01 | 7.3% | 7.5% |
| 2009-01-01 | 7.8% | 8.2% |
| 2009-02-01 | 8.3% | 8.7% |
| 2009-03-01 | 8.7% | 9.3% |
| 2009-04-01 | 9.0% | 9.4% |
| 2009-05-01 | 9.4% | 9.7% |
| 2009-06-01 | 9.5% | 9.9% |
| 2009-07-01 | 9.5% | 10.1% |
| 2009-08-01 | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| 2009-09-01 | 9.8% | 10.9% |
| 2009-10-01 | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| 2009-11-01 | 9.9% | 11.2% |
| 2009-12-01 | 9.9% | 11.7% |
| 2010-01-01 | 9.7% | 11.3% |
| 2010-02-01 | 9.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010-03-01 | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| 2010-04-01 | 9.9% | 11.0% |
| 2010-05-01 | 9.6% | 11.1% |
| 2010-06-01 | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2010-07-01 | 9.5% | 11.3% |
| 2010-08-01 | 9.5% | 11.1% |
| 2010-09-01 | 9.5% | 11.3% |
| 2010-10-01 | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| 2010-11-01 | 9.8% | 11.7% |
| 2010-12-01 | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2011-01-01 | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2011-02-01 | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2011-03-01 | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| 2011-04-01 | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2011-05-01 | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2011-06-01 | 9.1% | 11.5% |
| 2011-07-11 | 9.0% | 11.7% |
| 2011-08-20 | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2011-09-01 | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| 2011-10-11 | 8.8% | 11.2% |
| 2011-11-20 | 8.6% | 11.0% |
| 2011-12-30 | 8.5% | 11.0% |
| 2012-01-12 | 8.2% | 10.8% |
| 2012-02-12 | 8.3% | 10.7% |
| 2012-03-12 | 8.2% | 10.7% |
| 2012-04-12 | 8.2% | 10.9% |
| 2012-05-12 | 8.2% | 10.6% |
| 2012-06-12 | 8.2% | 10.5% |
| 2012-07-12 | 8.2% | 10.8% |
| 2012-08-12 | 8.1% | 10.8% |
| 2012-09-12 | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| 2012-10-12 | 7.8% | 10.0% |
| 2012-11-12 | 7.8% | 10.3% |
| 2012-12-12 | 7.9% | 10.3% |
| 2013-01-12 | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| 2013-02-12 | 7.7% | 10.5% |
| 2013-03-12 | 7.5% | 10.6% |
| 2013-04-12 | 7.5% | 10.5% |
| 2013-05-12 | 7.5% | 10.3% |
| 2013-06-12 | 7.5% | 10.3% |
| 2013-07-12 | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| 2013-08-12 | 7.2% | 10.3% |
| 2013-09-12 | 7.2% | 10.3% |
| 2013-10-12 | 7.2% | 10.7% |
| 2013-11-12 | 7.0% | 10.3% |
| 2013-12-12 | 6.7% | 10.2% |
| 2014-01-12 | 6.6% | 10.0% |
| 2014-02-12 | 6.7% | 10.0 |
| 2014-03-12 | 6.7% | 9.8% |
| 2014-04-12 | 6.3% | 9.9% |
| 2014-05-12 | 6.3% | 9.7% |
| 2014-06-12 | 6.1% | 9.6% |
| 2014-07-12 | 6.2% | 9.6% |
* Potential workers who, due to weak job opportunities, are neither employed nor actively seeking work
Source: EPI analysis of Mitra Toossi, “Labor Force Projections to 2016: More Workers in Their Golden Years,” Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Labor Review, November 2007; and Current Population Survey public data series
