U.S. labor market · seasonally adjusted
Unemployment by duration
The long-term unemployed numbered 1.8 million in July 2026—far below the pandemic peak, yet about 60% above February 2020.
The pandemic’s delayed shadow: short-duration unemployment surged first in spring 2020; the 27-weeks-or-more group peaked nearly a year later.
In July 2026, 1.771 million people had been unemployed for at least 27 weeks, compared with 1.110 million in February 2020 and a pandemic-era peak of 4.176 million in March 2021.