24% of unemployed workers have been without work for more than a year

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in March, nearly 2.4 million Americans were unemployed for a period of 24 weeks. This figure is almost double that of February

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Nearly a quarter of all unemployed workers in the United States have been out of work for at least one year, a period of unemployment dating back to the early days of the Covid pandemic – 19 .

The dynamics speak of persistent long-term unemployment and growing, even as the national unemployment rate declines. Such divergence is unusual during recessions and highlights the uneven nature of the recovery , economists said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in March, nearly 2.4 million Americans were unemployed for a period of 52 weeks. This figure is almost double that of February, being approximately 1.6 million more people than in March of 2020 .

Total, those long-term unemployed represented the 24% of the total 9.9 million unemployed workers last month , according to the federal agency.

Statistics offer the first hint of unemployment a year after officials began issuing lockdown orders to contain the coronavirus and millions of Americans began filing for unemployment benefits .

That number is likely to be a undercount, as the department does not consider certain workers, such as those who left the workforce entirely due to pandemic health hazards or job duties. childcare.

The ratio may increase next month, as current figures only offer a snapshot until the middle of last month, which does not line up with the number of jobless claims towards the end of March and April of 2020 .

Long-term unemployment has risen steadily throughout the health crisis and is near the peak of the Great Recession. Economists consider that the long-term unemployed is considered to be unemployed after six months .