© 2024 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Persistence of Long-Term Unemployment - 7/24/14

One of the most puzzling aspects of the current economic expansion is the persistence of long-term unemployment.  After all, payroll employment has now surpassed its pre-recession peak. 

Layoffs are down to pre-recession levels and the number of job openings is steadily rising.  But as pointed out by Moody’s Analytics, not all is well, with the number of people out of work for extended periods remaining at levels rarely observed during the post-World War II period.  What’s interesting is that short-term unemployment is now back to normal levels -- it’s only long-term unemployment that remains stubbornly high.  The number of people out of work for less than half a year has fallen back into a range observed during earlier postwar business cycles. 

But the number of those out of work longer than half a year remains historically high at 3.5 million.  Long-term unemployed workers account for 35 percent of all the unemployed.  Nearly three quarters of those out of work for more than half a year have been out of work for more than a full year, a historically high share.  Long-term unemployment appears to be particularly acute among those aged 25 to 34, perhaps because many companies cut junior positions when the economy soured several years ago.

Anirban Basu, Chariman Chief Executive Officer of Sage Policy Group (SPG), is one of the Mid-Atlantic region's leading economic consultants. Prior to founding SPG he was Chairman and CEO of Optimal Solutions Group, a company he co-founded and which continues to operate. Anirban has also served as Director of Applied Economics and Senior Economist for RESI, where he used his extensive knowledge of the Mid-Atlantic region to support numerous clients in their strategic decision-making processes. Clients have included the Maryland Department of Transportation, St. Paul Companies, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Players Committee and the Martin O'Malley mayoral campaign.