Alternative measures of labor underutilization, seasonally adjusted, 
May 2007 and May 2008 (percent)


				 Percent	
	
			May 2007	May 2008	

U-1			   1.5		   1.8	
U-2			   2.2		   2.8	
U-3 (official rate)	   4.5		   5.5	
U-4			   4.7		   5.7	
U-5			   5.4		   6.4	
U-6			   8.3		   9.7	


Definitions of U-1 to U-6

U-1: Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force
U-2: Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the 
civilian labor force
U-3: Total unemployed persons, as a percent of the civilian labor force (the official 
unemployment rate)
U-4: Total unemployed persons plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian 
labor force plus discouraged workers
U-5: Total unemployed persons, plus discouraged workers, plus all other “marginally 
attached” workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all “marginally attached” workers
U-6: Total unemployed persons, plus all “marginally attached” workers, plus all persons employed 
part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all 
“marginally attached” workers

Terms used in definitions: Marginally attached workers are persons who currently are neither 
working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have 
looked for work sometime in the recent past. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally 
attached, have given a job-market related reason for not looking currently for a job. Persons 
employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work 
but have had to settle for a part-time schedule.