US Unemployment Key Statistics

December, 2011 unemployment numbers continue to trend down with the fourth consecutive month of decline in total US unemployment rate.  Since August, 2011, total unemployment has dropped .6 percentage points (from 9.1% to 8.5%).

Total unemployment 8.5%

Total unemployed persons             23.7M

     *unemployed                             13.1M

     *Part time, prefer full time           8.1M

     *Marginally attached                   2.5M

      (Want work, not working in past twelve months)

Total labor force 153.9M

Employment/population ratio 58.5%

Long term unemployed (27 weeks or more) 5.6M

Highest unemployment by age 23.1% (m and f ages 16-19)

Lowest unemployment by age 6.2% (m and f ages 55 and over)

Unemployment by race:  7.5% whites; 15.8% blacks

Unemployment by race ages 16-19:  20.3% whites; 42.1% blacks

Unemployment by education (25 years or older)

     *Less than high school   13.8%

     *High school, no college   8.7%

     *Some college                  7.7%

     *Bachelors or higher         4.1%

Source:  US Bureau of Labor Statistics