The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Number of unemployed on temporary layoff increase by 175,000 in January 2019
February 06, 2019
Both the unemployment rate, at 4.0 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 6.5 million, edged up in January 2019. The impact of the partial federal government shutdown contributed to the uptick in these measures. Among the unemployed, the number who reported being on temporary layoff increased by 175,000 to 937,000 in January 2019.
Number of unemployed by reason for unemployment, January 2009–January 2019, seasonally adjusted
Month
People on temporary layoff
People not on temporary layoff, permanent job losers
People not on temporary layoff, who completed temporary jobs
Job leavers
Reentrants
New entrants
Jan 2009
1,497,000
4,674,000
1,279,000
901,000
2,806,000
775,000
Feb 2009
1,519,000
5,101,000
1,459,000
837,000
2,939,000
999,000
Mar 2009
1,614,000
5,563,000
1,363,000
882,000
3,028,000
872,000
Apr 2009
1,684,000
5,929,000
1,348,000
869,000
3,107,000
901,000
May 2009
1,798,000
6,213,000
1,410,000
904,000
3,201,000
965,000
Jun 2009
1,712,000
6,386,000
1,431,000
819,000
3,331,000
1,001,000
Jul 2009
1,713,000
6,377,000
1,373,000
891,000
3,260,000
1,004,000
Aug 2009
1,654,000
6,559,000
1,428,000
842,000
3,282,000
1,085,000
Sep 2009
1,894,000
6,657,000
1,406,000
880,000
3,262,000
1,153,000
Oct 2009
1,672,000
6,762,000
1,497,000
903,000
3,411,000
1,102,000
Nov 2009
1,522,000
6,818,000
1,411,000
936,000
3,236,000
1,330,000
Dec 2009
1,496,000
6,684,000
1,411,000
923,000
3,371,000
1,241,000
Jan 2010
1,463,000
6,426,000
1,452,000
911,000
3,650,000
1,195,000
Feb 2010
1,575,000
6,699,000
1,321,000
877,000
3,469,000
1,192,000
Mar 2010
1,668,000
6,530,000
1,377,000
893,000
3,591,000
1,146,000
Apr 2010
1,391,000
6,625,000
1,398,000
930,000
3,772,000
1,187,000
May 2010
1,469,000
6,437,000
1,331,000
973,000
3,388,000
1,202,000
Jun 2010
1,353,000
6,385,000
1,301,000
888,000
3,300,000
1,174,000
Jul 2010
1,194,000
6,443,000
1,362,000
903,000
3,377,000
1,208,000
Aug 2010
1,444,000
6,320,000
1,363,000
870,000
3,372,000
1,278,000
Sep 2010
1,338,000
6,347,000
1,458,000
804,000
3,399,000
1,217,000
Oct 2010
1,272,000
6,134,000
1,479,000
854,000
3,481,000
1,277,000
Nov 2010
1,442,000
6,437,000
1,611,000
860,000
3,445,000
1,275,000
Dec 2010
1,374,000
5,944,000
1,513,000
920,000
3,379,000
1,306,000
Jan 2011
1,224,000
5,838,000
1,413,000
915,000
3,358,000
1,342,000
Feb 2011
1,302,000
5,680,000
1,370,000
888,000
3,348,000
1,287,000
Mar 2011
1,250,000
5,688,000
1,400,000
888,000
3,317,000
1,287,000
Apr 2011
1,289,000
5,578,000
1,427,000
951,000
3,416,000
1,305,000
May 2011
1,247,000
5,643,000
1,374,000
915,000
3,379,000
1,227,000
Jun 2011
1,183,000
5,574,000
1,400,000
969,000
3,514,000
1,242,000
Jul 2011
1,179,000
5,568,000
1,368,000
939,000
3,383,000
1,281,000
Aug 2011
1,181,000
5,426,000
1,402,000
979,000
3,520,000
1,254,000
Sep 2011
1,203,000
5,390,000
1,434,000
973,000
3,470,000
1,378,000
Oct 2011
1,247,000
5,240,000
1,404,000
1,086,000
3,370,000
1,287,000
Nov 2011
1,180,000
5,071,000
1,400,000
1,011,000
3,357,000
1,277,000
Dec 2011
1,238,000
5,028,000
1,289,000
952,000
3,359,000
1,282,000
Jan 2012
1,277,000
4,742,000
1,245,000
942,000
3,253,000
1,260,000
Feb 2012
1,163,000
4,683,000
1,289,000
1,035,000
3,342,000
1,367,000
Mar 2012
1,150,000
4,625,000
1,262,000
1,097,000
3,278,000
1,388,000
Apr 2012
1,106,000
4,506,000
1,236,000
1,008,000
3,392,000
1,376,000
May 2012
1,149,000
4,536,000
1,290,000
899,000
3,384,000
1,358,000
Jun 2012
1,239,000
4,561,000
1,314,000
929,000
3,296,000
1,325,000
Jul 2012
1,353,000
4,445,000
1,297,000
867,000
3,369,000
1,303,000
Aug 2012
1,168,000
4,415,000
1,250,000
943,000
3,352,000
1,257,000
Sep 2012
1,185,000
4,279,000
1,083,000
950,000
3,306,000
1,260,000
Oct 2012
1,089,000
4,252,000
1,212,000
1,037,000
3,298,000
1,301,000
Nov 2012
1,085,000
4,159,000
1,220,000
914,000
3,319,000
1,333,000
Dec 2012
1,126,000
4,120,000
1,269,000
992,000
3,592,000
1,291,000
Jan 2013
1,202,000
4,125,000
1,318,000
998,000
3,430,000
1,272,000
Feb 2013
1,083,000
4,087,000
1,283,000
947,000
3,306,000
1,253,000
Mar 2013
1,113,000
3,886,000
1,239,000
976,000
3,164,000
1,295,000
Apr 2013
1,202,000
3,897,000
1,239,000
888,000
3,184,000
1,302,000
May 2013
998,000
3,796,000
1,296,000
942,000
3,311,000
1,272,000
Jun 2013
1,153,000
3,733,000
1,233,000
1,029,000
3,381,000
1,246,000
Jul 2013
1,165,000
3,597,000
1,091,000
971,000
3,243,000
1,259,000
Aug 2013
1,017,000
3,712,000
1,164,000
880,000
3,150,000
1,289,000
Sep 2013
1,114,000
3,518,000
1,224,000
974,000
3,161,000
1,207,000
Oct 2013
1,579,000
3,523,000
1,153,000
852,000
3,057,000
1,221,000
Nov 2013
1,095,000
3,443,000
1,200,000
870,000
3,042,000
1,154,000
Dec 2013
1,008,000
3,258,000
1,166,000
855,000
3,009,000
1,199,000
Jan 2014
1,018,000
3,271,000
1,070,000
816,000
2,791,000
1,158,000
Feb 2014
1,016,000
3,224,000
1,182,000
814,000
2,969,000
1,209,000
Mar 2014
1,046,000
3,213,000
1,114,000
795,000
3,027,000
1,177,000
Apr 2014
1,051,000
3,022,000
1,104,000
806,000
2,622,000
1,082,000
May 2014
1,055,000
2,904,000
1,054,000
876,000
2,859,000
1,068,000
Jun 2014
987,000
2,790,000
1,036,000
854,000
2,794,000
1,036,000
Jul 2014
968,000
2,651,000
1,156,000
857,000
2,891,000
1,098,000
Aug 2014
1,087,000
2,608,000
1,066,000
849,000
2,905,000
1,050,000
Sep 2014
944,000
2,615,000
969,000
812,000
2,800,000
1,103,000
Oct 2014
892,000
2,506,000
971,000
781,000
2,839,000
1,072,000
Nov 2014
1,030,000
2,469,000
984,000
824,000
2,748,000
1,048,000
Dec 2014
947,000
2,398,000
995,000
793,000
2,676,000
964,000
Jan 2015
909,000
2,341,000
969,000
866,000
2,743,000
1,008,000
Feb 2015
1,013,000
2,211,000
954,000
900,000
2,626,000
935,000
Mar 2015
1,014,000
2,183,000
951,000
864,000
2,678,000
827,000
Apr 2015
1,005,000
2,231,000
915,000
843,000
2,677,000
872,000
May 2015
1,162,000
2,237,000
1,026,000
819,000
2,591,000
976,000
Jun 2015
1,011,000
2,143,000
903,000
768,000
2,546,000
904,000
Jul 2015
962,000
2,194,000
916,000
842,000
2,453,000
833,000
Aug 2015
952,000
2,123,000
905,000
774,000
2,374,000
841,000
Sep 2015
904,000
2,119,000
833,000
777,000
2,423,000
839,000
Oct 2015
984,000
2,129,000
872,000
784,000
2,408,000
824,000
Nov 2015
889,000
2,181,000
840,000
782,000
2,438,000
863,000
Dec 2015
917,000
2,052,000
831,000
818,000
2,463,000
853,000
Jan 2016
904,000
1,855,000
870,000
776,000
2,454,000
800,000
Feb 2016
956,000
1,941,000
833,000
775,000
2,459,000
818,000
Mar 2016
937,000
2,042,000
842,000
837,000
2,523,000
788,000
Apr 2016
879,000
2,065,000
922,000
876,000
2,353,000
849,000
May 2016
950,000
2,022,000
766,000
787,000
2,203,000
894,000
Jun 2016
1,077,000
1,927,000
749,000
830,000
2,292,000
889,000
Jul 2016
970,000
2,015,000
721,000
830,000
2,299,000
819,000
Aug 2016
982,000
1,999,000
794,000
874,000
2,277,000
862,000
Sep 2016
1,108,000
1,976,000
889,000
914,000
2,311,000
804,000
Oct 2016
1,035,000
1,912,000
836,000
956,000
2,332,000
799,000
Nov 2016
831,000
1,953,000
757,000
925,000
2,253,000
736,000
Dec 2016
1,023,000
1,897,000
703,000
907,000
2,189,000
775,000
Jan 2017
1,043,000
1,949,000
658,000
873,000
2,158,000
786,000
Feb 2017
970,000
1,985,000
697,000
813,000
2,210,000
750,000
Mar 2017
959,000
1,777,000
764,000
785,000
2,061,000
796,000
Apr 2017
953,000
1,795,000
789,000
779,000
2,022,000
703,000
May 2017
872,000
1,766,000
790,000
782,000
2,103,000
674,000
Jun 2017
879,000
1,769,000
775,000
809,000
2,038,000
682,000
Jul 2017
1,009,000
1,663,000
658,000
744,000
2,096,000
696,000
Aug 2017
1,017,000
1,804,000
698,000
785,000
2,148,000
653,000
Sep 2017
909,000
1,760,000
686,000
748,000
2,073,000
663,000
Oct 2017
872,000
1,705,000
660,000
746,000
1,998,000
622,000
Nov 2017
928,000
1,588,000
660,000
751,000
2,035,000
708,000
Dec 2017
923,000
1,627,000
699,000
726,000
1,985,000
568,000
Jan 2018
908,000
1,631,000
703,000
724,000
1,959,000
638,000
Feb 2018
871,000
1,667,000
689,000
784,000
1,954,000
703,000
Mar 2018
865,000
1,602,000
640,000
860,000
1,966,000
615,000
Apr 2018
865,000
1,418,000
682,000
812,000
2,001,000
615,000
May 2018
829,000
1,438,000
616,000
844,000
1,868,000
569,000
Jun 2018
901,000
1,475,000
678,000
801,000
2,078,000
579,000
Jul 2018
879,000
1,437,000
680,000
835,000
1,804,000
592,000
Aug 2018
855,000
1,351,000
663,000
866,000
1,864,000
586,000
Sep 2018
812,000
1,257,000
727,000
739,000
1,889,000
588,000
Oct 2018
793,000
1,365,000
701,000
731,000
1,914,000
605,000
Nov 2018
804,000
1,337,000
701,000
697,000
1,880,000
577,000
Dec 2018
762,000
1,432,000
710,000
839,000
1,958,000
588,000
Jan 2019
937,000
1,427,000
717,000
805,000
1,945,000
606,000
Among people who were not on temporary layoff in January 2019, 1,427,000 were permanent job losers, and 717,000 completed temporary jobs.
In January 2019, there were 1,945,000 reentrants, or 30.2 percent of the unemployed. Reentrants are people who previously worked but were out of the labor force before they began their job search. There were 805,000 job leavers, or 12.5 percent of the unemployed. These are people who quit or voluntarily ended their jobs and immediately began searching for a new job. New entrants, people looking for their first job and have no previous work experience, amounted to 606,000 people and made up 9.4 percent of the unemployed.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. People are grouped into four main reasons for their unemployment: (1) job losers and people who completed temporary jobs; (2) job leavers; (3) reentrants; (4) new entrants. Job losers include people on temporary layoff and people not on temporary layoff. Among people not on temporary layoff, there are permanent job losers and people who completed temporary jobs. For more information, see "The Employment Situation — January 2019." We also have more charts on employment, unemployment, and the labor force.
United States Department of Labor
