In 1990, the average duration of unemployment in the United States was 12 weeks. The duration increased to 21.6 weeks in 2024, which was an increase from the previous year.
For monthly updates on unemployment in the United States, check either the monthly national unemployment rate here, or the monthly state unemployment rate here.
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Average duration of unemployment in the United States from 1990 to 2024
(in weeks)
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Bureau of Labor Statistics. (January 29, 2025). Average duration of unemployment in the United States from 1990 to 2024 (in weeks) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/217837/average-duration-of-unemployment-in-the-in-the-us/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Average duration of unemployment in the United States from 1990 to 2024 (in weeks)." Chart. January 29, 2025. Statista. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/217837/average-duration-of-unemployment-in-the-in-the-us/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Average duration of unemployment in the United States from 1990 to 2024 (in weeks). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 24, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/217837/average-duration-of-unemployment-in-the-in-the-us/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Average Duration of Unemployment in The United States from 1990 to 2024 (in Weeks)." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Jan 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/217837/average-duration-of-unemployment-in-the-in-the-us/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average duration of unemployment in the United States from 1990 to 2024 (in weeks) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/217837/average-duration-of-unemployment-in-the-in-the-us/ (last visited June 24, 2025)
Average duration of unemployment in the United States from 1990 to 2024 (in weeks) [Graph], Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 29, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/217837/average-duration-of-unemployment-in-the-in-the-us/
