Monthly Labor Review • March 2012 41

Job Search Duration of the Unemployed

Following the 2007–2009 recession, 

the number of persons who were out 

of work for an extended time rose to 

record high levels. Consequently, median duration of unemployment rose to 21.4 weeks 

in 2010 and held through 2011; this measure, however, represents the ongoing number of weeks individuals had been unemployed when surveyed and is not a measure 

of a completed period of job search. That is, 

it does not indicate how many weeks an unemployed person took to find employment 

or leave the labor force. To provide estimates 

that more closely resemble “completed spells 

of unemployment,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) created measures of the number 

of weeks the jobless took to find work or 

quit looking and leave the labor force. These 

data show that the median length of time 

an unemployed person searched before finding a job increased sharply between 2007 

and 2010, from 5.2 to 10.4 weeks; in 2011, 

it edged down to 10.0 weeks. Unemployed 

individuals looked much longer for work in 

2011, compared with 2007, before giving up 

and leaving the labor force, 21.4 weeks versus 8.7 weeks, respectively.

Background on labor force flows

Labor force flows measure the transitions 

from one month to the next of individuals as 

they change their labor force status between 

Randy E. Ilg 

and

Eleni Theodossiou

Randy E. Ilg and Eleni 

Theodossiou are economists in the Division of 

Labor Force Statistics, 

Office of Employment 

and Unemployment 

Statistics (OEUS), Bureau 

of Labor Statistics. Email: 

ilg.randy@bls.gov or 

theodossiou.eleni@bls.

gov.

Job search of the unemployed by 

duration of unemployment

The length of time the jobless spent searching for work before finding 

a job increased from 5.2 to 10.4 weeks between 2007 and 2010, edging 

down to 10.0 in 2011; for the unemployed who eventually quit looking 

and left the labor force, duration also increased sharply between 2007 

and 2011, from 8.7 to 21.4 weeks

employment and unemployment or as they 

enter or leave the labor market. The flows 

also measure the number of persons who 

remained employed, unemployed, or not in 

the labor force over the month. Each month, 

the Current Population Survey (CPS) is administered to about three-quarters of the 

same households (sample) as in the previous month.1

 This month-to-month overlap 

allows for the calculation of the separate 

flows. The flows provide the underlying dynamics to the net change in official “stock” 

estimates—such as employment and unemployment—that the BLS publishes each 

month.2

 In any given month, a person is in 

one of three labor force states: employed (E), 

unemployed (U), or not in the labor force 

(N). The next month, that person could either have the same status or change to one 

of the other two states.

Nine of the labor market flow possibilities 

can be expressed with the following 3 × 3 

matrix:

 Status in current month

Other flows, such as those due to normal 

increases or decreases in population, are not 

discussed further in this article because of 

Status in 

prior month

EmployedUnemployedNot in 

labor force

Employed EE EU EN

Unemployed UE UU UN

Not in the 

labor force NE NU NN
Duration of Unemployment

42 Monthly Labor Review • March 2012

their marginal influence on changes to labor force estimates.3

 The notation of the matrix is such that the first 

letter denotes the labor force status in the previous month 

and the second letter denotes the status in the current 

month. Thus, EE represents all individuals who remained 

employed over the month (not necessarily with the same 

employer), UE is the number of unemployed persons in 

the previous month who became employed in the current 

month, EU is the number employed persons in the previous month who were unemployed in the current month, 

and so forth.

Most transitions from employment to unemployment 

(EU) represent job loss, whereas transitions from unemployment to employment (UE) represent persons who 

sought and found jobs.4

 The CPS flows, however, do not 

specifically reveal why people changed their labor force 

status. For example, one cannot determine whether employed persons who drop out of the labor force (EN) do so 

voluntarily or involuntarily, whether NE and NU represent 

new or returning entrants to the labor force, or whether 

jobless persons who quit looking for work (UN) are discouraged over job prospects.5

Duration by flow measure

Researchers in BLS’ Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics created estimates of completed spells 

of unemployment by linking the duration variable for individuals who were jobless in one month with their labor 

force status in the subsequent month. These measures reflect completed spells of duration as of the last reference 

period in which persons were still classified as unemployed, or the length of job search for those who became 

employed and for those who quit searching for work and 

left the labor force.

Obtaining information on the precise week between 

survey periods when jobless individuals become employed 

or leave the labor force is not feasible. In the CPS, one’s labor force status is determined for 1 week only each month; 

this is usually the week that contains the 12th, which is referred to as the “CPS survey reference week.” Thus, if one’s 

labor force status is unemployed (U) in one month and 

either employed (E) or not in the labor force (N) in the 

subsequent month, then the actual length of any one job 

search may be understated by as much as 3 to 4 weeks, the 

number of weeks between survey reference periods.6

Median duration of job search

During the recession that began in December 2007 and 

ended in June 2009, millions of employed individuals lost 

their jobs and the ranks of the unemployed nearly doubled.7

 In the aftermath, the number of jobless who were 

unemployed for 27 weeks or more continued to rise for 

about a year until early 2010, when it began to level off. In 

2007, the median number of weeks that jobseekers were 

unemployed in the month prior to finding work was 5.2 

weeks. In sharp contrast that emphasizes the severity of 

the 2007–2009 economic downturn, the median length 

of time for a successful job search doubled to 10.4 weeks 

by 2010. In 2011, it changed little, edging down to 10.0 

weeks. Comparatively, during the robust economic expansion of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the median length 

of time that the jobless took to find work was about 4 

weeks. This measure had reached as high as 6.1 weeks in 

the aftermath of the 2001 recession. The median duration 

of unemployment for those who eventually quit looking 

for a job and left the labor force also increased sharply 

between 2007 and 2011, from 8.7 weeks to 21.4 weeks. 

(See table 1.)

In 2011, the median number of weeks that unemployed 

men actively searched for work before landing a job was 

10.2 weeks, compared with 9.6 weeks for women. Unemployed men also searched longer for a job than women in 

2011 before giving up and leaving the labor force, spending 22.6 weeks looking compared with 20.2 weeks for 

women. Nonetheless, both men and women spent considerably more time searching for employment in 2011, 

whether successful or not, than during or prior to the 

2007–2009 recession.

Distribution of job search by weeks of duration

Table 2 shows the distribution of job search for the unemployed who found jobs, by duration of unemployment 

in weekly increments. From 1994 through 2008, roughly 

half of successful jobseekers found work within 5 weeks 

of beginning their search. Prior to the start of the recent 

recession in December 2007, for example, 49 percent of 

those who were unemployed in one month but employed 

in a subsequent month had been jobless for less than 5 

weeks. In 2011, a little more than one-third of jobseekers 

found work in less than 5 weeks. As the share of shortterm successful job searches declined, the share of longterm successful job searches (those lasting 6 months or 

longer) increased dramatically. By 2011, more than a 

quarter (26.7 percent) of successful job searches lasted 6 

months or longer, with about half of those taking more 

than a year. In comparison, about 10 percent of successful 

job searches lasted 6 months or longer in 2007.
Monthly Labor Review • March 2012 43

Table 1. Median duration of unemployment for persons who became employed or left the labor force, by gender, annual

 averages, 1994–2011

[In weeks]

Year

Total, both sexes Men Women

Became employed Left the labor 

force Became employed Left the labor 

force Became employed Left the labor 

force

1994 5.4 9.1 5.8 10.8 5.1 8.0

1995 4.8 8.3 5.0 9.4 4.5 7.5

1996 4.7 7.6 4.9 8.2 4.5 7.2

1997 4.5 7.6 4.6 8.5 4.2 7.0

1998 4.2 6.9 4.6 7.5 4.0 6.3

1999 4.1 6.8 4.3 7.2 4.0 6.5

2000 4.0 6.5 4.2 7.3 4.0 5.6

2001 4.1 6.9 4.2 7.4 4.0 6.5

2002 5.6 8.7 5.6 9.0 5.5 8.5

2003 6.1 9.6 6.4 9.9 5.9 9.3

2004 6.0 9.6 5.9 10.2 6.3 9.2

2005 5.4 8.6 5.5 9.3 5.4 8.1

2006 5.1 8.3 5.3 8.9 5.0 7.9

2007 5.2 8.7 5.3 9.2 4.9 8.2

2008 5.6 9.5 5.2 9.6 6.1 9.4

2009 8.4 15.2 8.6 16.0 8.1 14.4

2010 10.4 20.0 10.9 22.2 9.6 18.2

2011 10.0 21.4 10.2 22.6 9.6 20.2

NOTE: Duration is based on the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before becoming employed or leaving the 

labor force and, therefore, somewhat understates the true length of 

completed spells of unemployment. 

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.

Jobseeking women spent less time than men searching 

for work in 2011 before succeeding (medians of 9.6 versus 

10.2 weeks, respectively). Unemployed men, however, were 

somewhat more likely than were women to be successful 

in job searches that lasted 27 weeks or more (27.3 versus 

25.7 percent, respectively). Reflecting higher unemployment as a result of the 2007–2009 recession, an average of 

2.4 million unemployed persons sought and found work 

each month in 2011, an increase of about 400,000 over 

the monthly average in 2007.

As shown in table 3, a far greater share of the unemployed 

who quit looking also spent much more time searching 

in 2011 than those who quit looking prior to the start 

of the recession in 2007. About 44 percent of the jobless 

searched for work for a half year or longer before giving 

up in 2011, compared with about 21 percent in 2007.

A greater share of the unemployed who found jobs 

(UE) in 2011 were men (61 percent, versus 39 percent 

for women). (See table 2.) However, roughly equal shares 

of unemployed men and women (48 versus 52 percent, 

respectively) gave up their search and left the labor force 

(UN). Also, similar proportions of unemployed men and 

women who eventually left the labor force spent more 

than half a year in their job search before giving up (45.2 

and 42.4 percent, respectively). (See table 3.)

Likelihood of finding work by weeks of unemployment

In addition to the medians and distributions of completed 

spells presented earlier, the likelihood of the unemployed 

becoming employed or leaving the labor force was tabulated for selected duration categories. These measures show 

that the chance of becoming employed decreases the longer one is unemployed. This relationship holds regardless of 

expansions or contractions in the business cycle. However, 

the chance of finding a job has been substantially lower in 

the aftermath of the 2007–2009 economic downturn. In 

2011, an individual who had been unemployed for less than 

5 weeks had a 31-percent chance of becoming employed 

in a subsequent month, whereas an individual who had 

been jobless for a half year or longer had only a 10-percent chance. In comparison, during the tight labor market 

of 2000, the proportions were higher, 40 percent and 20 

percent, respectively. (See charts 1 and 2.)

From 1995 to 2011, unemployed men were more likely 

than unemployed women to be successful in their job 

search during unemployment durations of less than 5 

weeks; however, that pattern was less well defined for job 

searches that exceeded a half year. Among men who had 

been jobless for less than 5 weeks in 2011, about 34 percent 

were employed in the subsequent month, compared with 
Duration of Unemployment

44 Monthly Labor Review • March 2012

Table 2. Share of the unemployed who found jobs, by weeks of duration of unemployment and gender, annual averages, 

 1994–2011

[Percent distribution]

Year

Transitions from 

unemployed to 

employed 

 (thousands)

Less than 5 weeks 5 to 14 weeks 15 to 26 weeks 27 to 52 weeks 53 weeks and over

Total, both sexes

1994 2,208 47.3 29.0 11.4 8.3 4.0

1995 2,072 50.5 28.6 10.7 6.6 3.5

1996 2,035 52.1 28.8 10.1 6.5 2.6

1997 2,003 52.3 28.9 10.3 6.0 2.5

1998 1,909 54.5 28.5 8.9 5.8 2.4

1999 1,874 55.6 28.3 9.2 5.0 2.0

2000 1,839 56.5 28.2 8.1 4.9 2.1

2001 1,952 55.7 29.0 9.2 4.6 1.6

2002 2,111 47.4 29.8 12.1 8.1 2.6

2003 2,085 44.7 29.1 12.8 9.3 4.1

2004 2,065 45.5 28.6 12.3 9.3 4.3

2005 1,985 47.3 28.7 12.0 8.0 3.9

2006 1,967 49.5 28.5 11.7 7.5 2.8

2007 1,930 49.0 29.7 11.4 7.1 2.8

2008 2,064 47.2 30.4 11.9 7.3 3.2

2009 2,402 38.9 29.1 14.9 12.1 5.1

2010 2,517 34.0 25.9 13.8 15.3 11.0

2011 2,372 35.3 24.9 13.1 13.8 12.9

Men

1994 1,264 45.3 28.6 12.3 9.2 4.7

1995 1,163 49.3 28.2 11.5 7.1 4.0

1996 1,142 50.5 28.4 11.4 6.7 3.0

1997 1,123 51.4 28.6 10.8 6.5 2.8

1998 1,039 53.1 28.6 8.6 6.9 2.9

1999 1,027 55.3 27.8 9.9 5.0 2.0

2000 1,005 56.5 27.8 8.4 4.9 2.4

2001 1,114 54.8 29.2 9.9 4.5 1.6

2002 1,209 46.7 29.9 12.4 8.5 2.5

2003 1,228 44.0 29.0 13.2 9.4 4.4

2004 1,197 45.3 28.3 11.8 9.7 4.9

2005 1,139 47.6 27.6 12.7 8.0 4.2

2006 1,117 49.4 27.3 12.7 7.8 2.9

2007 1,120 48.7 29.6 11.9 6.8 3.1

2008 1,216 48.7 28.8 12.2 7.1 3.2

2009 1,492 38.6 28.7 15.7 12.1 4.9

2010 1,552 33.1 25.6 13.5 15.7 12.1

2011 1,442 35.3 23.7 13.6 14.1 13.2

Women

1994 943 50.0 29.6 10.2 7.2 3.0

1995 909 52.2 29.0 9.8 6.0 3.0

1996 893 54.1 29.2 8.4 6.3 2.1

1997 880 53.6 29.2 9.7 5.3 2.2

1998 870 56.1 28.4 9.2 4.5 1.8

1999 848 56.0 28.9 8.2 5.0 2.0

2000 834 56.6 28.8 7.8 4.9 1.8

2001 838 56.9 28.7 8.2 4.8 1.5

2002 902 48.2 29.7 11.7 7.6 2.8

2003 857 45.7 29.2 12.2 9.2 3.6

2004 869 45.9 29.1 13.1 8.6 3.4

2005 846 47.0 30.3 11.2 7.9 3.6

2006 850 49.6 30.1 10.4 7.2 2.8

2007 809 49.4 29.9 10.7 7.6 2.4

See notes at end of table.
Monthly Labor Review • March 2012 45

Table 2. Continued—Share of the unemployed who found jobs, by weeks of duration of unemployment and gender, annual 

 averages, 1994–2011

[Percent distribution]

Year

Transitions from 

unemployed to 

employed 

 (thousands)

Less than 5 weeks 5 to 14 weeks 15 to 26 weeks 27 to 52 weeks 53 weeks and over

Women

NOTE: Duration is based on the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before becoming employed and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.

2008 848 45.0 32.7 11.5 7.6 3.1

2009 911 39.4 29.7 13.5 12.0 5.4

2010 965 35.5 26.2 14.4 14.7 9.2

2011 930 35.3 26.8 12.2 13.3 12.4

Chart 1. Of those jobless for less than 5 weeks, the share who became employed in the subsequent month, by gender, not seasonally adjusted 12-month moving average, January 1995–December 2011

Percent of unemployed Percent of unemployed

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

Men

Total

Women

about 27 percent of women.

As shown in chart 2, unemployed men and women who 

were jobless for 27 weeks or more were about equally likely 

to find jobs in a subsequent month during the 2007–2009 

recession. In 2011, men were slightly more likely than 

women to become employed following prolonged periods 

of unemployment duration. Trendwise, the likelihood that 

job-seeking men and women became employed in searches that exceeded a half year converged during economic 

downturns and diverged during expansionary periods.

The pattern of greater success in men’s job search than 

women’s holds throughout the series history, although 

outcomes of job search are clearly cyclical. Independently 

of how long the unemployed take to find a job, successful 

outcomes (the likelihood that an unemployed person will 

become employed) peaked preceding the 2001 recession 

and have never approached those levels since. (See charts 

1 and 2.)

Unemployed men were much less likely than unemployed women to leave the labor force regardless of the 

duration of job search, suggesting that men have a stronger attachment to the labor market. Of those who were 

unemployed for less than 5 weeks or for 27 weeks or longer, respectively, charts 3 and 4 show the share who quit 

NOTES: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Duration is based on 

the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before becoming employed and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.
Duration of Unemployment

46 Monthly Labor Review • March 2012

Table 3. Share of the unemployed who quit looking, by weeks of duration of unemployment and gender, annual averages, 

 1994–2011

[Percent distribution]

Year

Transitions from 

unemployed to 

not in the labor 

force (thousands)

Less than 5 weeks 5 to 14 weeks 15 to 26 weeks 27 to 52 weeks 53 weeks and over

Total, both sexes

1994 1,831 35.7 27.0 13.8 14.1 9.4

1995 1,707 37.5 28.2 12.8 12.8 8.7

1996 1,674 39.5 28.2 12.6 11.7 8.1

1997 1,584 39.8 29.7 12.1 11.1 7.3

1998 1,512 41.2 30.6 11.2 10.7 6.3

1999 1,411 41.3 30.3 12.1 10.9 5.4

2000 1,371 43.7 31.5 11.0 9.1 4.7

2001 1,499 42.4 30.9 12.8 9.2 4.8

2002 1,759 35.9 30.5 15.2 12.2 6.2

2003 1,911 33.9 29.2 14.2 14.2 8.5

2004 1,823 33.6 28.6 14.5 13.5 9.9

2005 1,781 36.3 29.7 13.3 12.1 8.6

2006 1,699 37.3 29.7 12.9 12.0 8.1

2007 1,601 36.1 30.1 13.0 12.7 8.0

2008 1,879 33.7 31.1 13.5 13.8 7.9

2009 2,612 24.6 26.7 17.6 19.8 11.3

2010 2,893 20.6 22.7 15.3 21.6 19.7

2011 2,834 20.9 21.6 13.7 19.4 24.3

Men

1994 809 31.3 26.3 14.9 15.3 12.3

1995 762 34.6 27.7 12.6 13.8 11.3

1996 753 37.7 28.4 12.0 12.5 9.4

1997 691 37.5 28.9 12.8 11.7 9.1

1998 690 37.9 31.1 11.4 12.0 7.6

1999 627 39.2 30.4 12.1 11.6 6.7

2000 615 39.8 32.7 11.2 10.3 6.1

2001 698 40.5 30.7 13.1 9.9 5.8

2002 826 35.8 29.6 14.6 12.6 7.3

2003 919 32.8 28.6 13.9 15.0 9.7

2004 860 32.5 27.9 14.1 13.8 11.6

2005 829 34.1 29.1 13.7 13.2 9.9

2006 809 35.9 28.3 13.8 12.8 9.2

2007 749 34.3 30.7 12.3 12.9 9.7

2008 914 33.0 31.3 12.8 14.9 8.0

2009 1,313 23.5 26.5 18.1 19.8 12.0

2010 1,429 19.5 21.0 15.7 22.9 20.9

2011 1,370 20.1 21.1 13.7 19.6 25.6

Women

1994 1,022 39.2 27.6 12.9 13.2 7.2

1995 945 39.8 28.6 12.9 12.0 6.7

1996 921 41.0 27.9 13.1 11.0 6.9

1997 893 41.6 30.4 11.5 10.6 5.9

1998 822 44.1 30.1 11.0 9.6 5.2

1999 783 43.0 30.3 12.1 10.3 4.3

2000 756 46.8 30.6 10.9 8.2 3.6

2001 800 44.1 31.0 12.5 8.6 3.9

2002 932 35.9 31.3 15.7 11.9 5.2

2003 993 35.0 29.6 14.6 13.4 7.4

2004 963 34.5 29.2 14.9 13.2 8.3

2005 952 38.1 30.2 13.0 11.2 7.5

2006 891 38.6 31.1 12.0 11.3 7.0

2007 852 37.7 29.6 13.7 12.5 6.6

See notes at end of table.
Monthly Labor Review • March 2012 47

2008 966 34.4 30.9 14.1 12.7 7.9

2009 1,299 25.7 26.8 17.1 19.7 10.6

2010 1,463 21.7 24.4 14.9 20.4 18.5

2011 1,464 21.6 22.1 13.8 19.3 23.1

Table 3. Continued—Share of the unemployed who quit looking, by weeks of duration of unemployment and gender, annual

 averages, 1994–2011

[Percent distribution]

Year

Transitions from 

unemployed to 

not in the labor 

force (thousands)

Less than 5 weeks 5 to 14 weeks 15 to 26 weeks 27 to 52 weeks 53 weeks and over

Women

NOTES: Duration is based on the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before leaving the labor force and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.

Chart 2. Of those jobless for 27 weeks and over, the share who become employed in the subsequent month, by gender, not seasonally adjusted 12-month moving average, January 1995–December 2011

Percent of unemployed Percent of unemployed

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

Women

Men

Total

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

NOTES: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Duration is based on 

the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before becoming employed and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.

looking for a job and left the labor force. Unemployed 

women were more likely than unemployed men to give up 

their search for work in less than 5 weeks, a pattern that 

was consistent throughout the period from 1995 to 2011. 

Unemployed women also were more likely to quit looking 

and leave the labor force after unemployment durations of 

a half year or longer.

In sm,he length of time th

(both men and women) took to find work in 2011 was 

nearly twice as long as prior to the beginning of the recession in 2007, 10.0 weeks versus 5.2 weeks. Although 

men were somewhat more persistent in their job search 

than women, among the jobless who found work in 2011, 

roughly a quarter of each gender spent over a half year 

searching. Among the jobless who were unsuccessful in 

their job search and left the labor force in 2011, more than 

4 in 10 spent a half year or longer searching before giving 

up. Undoubtedly, one of the most profound effects of the 

2007–2009 recession was the shrinking likelihood of the 

unemployed finding jobs; even more dramatic was that 

the likelihood of finding work decreased substantially as 

the length of time spent searching increased.
Duration of Unemployment

48 Monthly Labor Review • March 2012

Chart 3. Of those jobless for less than 5 weeks, the share who left the labor force in the subsequent month, by gender, not seasonally adjusted 12-month moving average, January 1995–December 2011

Percent of unemployed Percent of unemployed

Women

Total

Men

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

NOTES: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Duration is based on 

the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before leaving the labor force and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.

Chart 4. Of those jobless for 27 weeks and over, the share who left the labor force in the subsequent month, by gender, not seasonally adjusted 12-month moving average, January 1995–December 2011

Women

Men

Total

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

Percent of unemployed Percent of unemployed

NOTES: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Duration is based on 

the number of weeks persons were unemployed in the month before leaving the labor force and, therefore, is somewhat understated.

SOURCE: Research series from the BLS Current Population Survey.

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011
Monthly Labor Review • March 2012 49

NOTES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The authors would like to thank Gregory P. Erken

and Thomas D. Evans in the Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics for their input in developing the various duration series.

1 The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of 

about 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additional information on the concepts and methodology of the CPS is available at www.bls.gov/cps/

documentation.htm.

2 For BLS analytical reports that use labor force flows to analyze 

developments in the labor market, see Randy E. Ilg, “Analyzing CPS 

data using gross flows,” Monthly Labor Review, September 2005, pp. 

10–18, http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/09/art2full.pdf; Zhi 

Boon, Charles M. Carson, R. Jason Faberman, and Randy E. Ilg, 

“Studying the labor market using BLS labor dynamics data,” Monthly 

Labor Review, February 2008, pp. 3–16, http://www.bls.gov/opub/

mlr/2008/02/art1full.pdf; Harley J. Frazis and Randy E. Ilg, “Trends 

in labor force flows during recent recessions,” Monthly Labor Review, 

April 2009, pp. 3–18, http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2009/04/art 

1full.pdf; Harley J. Frazis, “Labor Force Flows in the Most Recent 

Recession,” Issues in Labor Statistics, Summary 10–08 (U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics, July 2010), http://www.bls.gov/opub/ils/pdf/

opbils85.pdf; and Randy E. Ilg, “Why Has Unemployment Risen? 

Insight from Labor Force Flows,” Issues in Labor Statistics, Summary 08–05 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 2008), http://www.

bls.gov/opub/ils/pdf/opbils66.pdf. Additional information on labor 

force status flows is available in “Research series on labor force status 

flows from the Current Population Survey,” Labor Force Statistics from 

the Current Population Survey (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 4, 

2008), http://stats.bls.gov/cps/cps_flows.htm.

3 For more information on the concepts and estimation of labor 

force flows, including margin discrepancies, see Harley J. Frazis, Edwin L. Robison, Thomas D. Evans, and Martha A. Duff, “Estimating 

gross flows consistent with stocks in the CPS,” Monthly Labor Review, 

September 2005, pp. 3–9, http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/09/

art1full.pdf.

4 Since 1994, job losers have accounted for between 42 percent and 

66 percent of the unemployed by reason for unemployment, while job 

leavers have accounted for 15 percent or less.

5 Discouraged workers are individuals who wish to work and have 

looked for work sometime in the previous 12 months but who are not 

currently looking for work specifically because they believe that no jobs 

are available for them.

6 To a lesser extent, duration measures presented here may be understated for other reasons. Only three-quarters of the sample in the CPS

are accounted for in the month-to-month flows; duration estimates 

for months-in-sample 4 and 8 are not available and have been shown 

to be slightly higher. Also, this analysis implies a steady-state labor 

market in which entry rates into and exit rates from unemployment 

are fairly stable.

7 The National Bureau of Economic Research, the generally recognized arbiter of recessions in the United States, determined that June 

2009 was the end point of the recession that began in December 2007.