Unemployment details · UEMPMEAN
Average weeks unemployed
As of Sep 2026, the average weeks unemployed stood at 24.8 weeks (weeks), a change of -1.5 weeks from the month before.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED®. Monthly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Sep 2026; snapshot taken Oct 27, 2026, 2:15 AM EDT.
Latest (Sep 2026)
24.8 weeks
Change from Aug 2026
-1.5 weeks
A year earlier
24.1 weeks
12-month change
+2.9%
24.8 weeks Sep 2026 · Weeks
Weeks. Data from Jan 1948 to Sep 2026 (944 observations).
What it measures
This is the average number of weeks that unemployed people have been looking for work. It tends to keep rising for a while after a recession ends.
- Official title
- Average Weeks Unemployed
- Units
- Weeks
- Frequency and adjustment
- Monthly, seasonally adjusted
- Original source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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| Date | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 24.8 weeks | -1.5 weeks |
| Aug 2026 | 26.3 weeks | +1.4 weeks |
| Jul 2026 | 24.9 weeks | -0.6 weeks |
| Jun 2026 | 25.5 weeks | -0.5 weeks |
| May 2026 | 26.0 weeks | +1.6 weeks |
| Apr 2026 | 24.4 weeks | -0.9 weeks |
| Mar 2026 | 25.3 weeks | -0.4 weeks |
| Feb 2026 | 25.7 weeks | +2.0 weeks |
| Jan 2026 | 23.7 weeks | -0.7 weeks |
| Dec 2025 | 24.4 weeks | +1.3 weeks |
| Nov 2025 | 23.1 weeks | -1.0 weeks |
| Sep 2025 | 24.1 weeks | -0.4 weeks |
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This page shows public economic data for general information. It is not financial advice and does not predict future values.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Weeks Unemployed [UEMPMEAN], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UEMPMEAN, Oct 27, 2026.
- View UEMPMEAN on FRED® · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
FRED® is a registered trademark of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Neither the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis nor U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics endorses OpenEcon.