Alternative unemployment rates

[Fleck_S <Fleck_S@xxxxxxx>]

>From a co-workers at BLS, here is info on alternative unemployment rates.
Sounds like the Fed uses the U-4 or U-5 rate (see link below to BLS
website).

The Bureau of Labor Stastistics calls the "not in the labor force want job
now" group the "marginally attached."  They are defined as persons who want
a job, are available for work, and have looked for work sometime in the past
year, but are not currently looking.  This subcategory of persons classified
as not in the labor force includes discouraged workers (persons who have
given up looking for work due to job-market-related reasons) as well as
persons who give other reasons for not looking currently.

For more, see the October 1995 MLR article by Bregger and Haugen, "BLS
introduces a new range of alternative unemployment measures."  For the
latest U-1/U-6 data in the employment situation news release see:
http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t08.htm


Susan Fleck
w:(202) 691-5019
h:(301) 270-1486
e-mail: Fleck_S@xxxxxxx
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