Long-Term Unemployment Hits 25.9% of Jobless
Employers face a larger pool of experienced candidates as hiring rates fall to 3.3%, the lowest in the study window.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Employment
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The share of unemployed Americans who have been out of work for at least 27 weeks reached 25.9% in the first seven months of 2026, according to an analysis of 23 federal data sets. For businesses hiring in a slower market, the share is up sharply from 18.9% in 2023.
Why it matters
A longer average search period means job candidates stay on the market longer, which can ease hiring for employers while also signaling weaker consumer spending power in the economy. The shift reflects a hiring market that has cooled even though layoffs have not risen.
Median unemployment duration rose from 8.9 weeks in 2023 to 11.1 weeks in 2026, and average duration rose from 20.4 to 25.1 weeks. Job openings fell from 5.8% to 4.4% over the same period, while the layoffs rate held at 1.1%.
The players
MyPerfectResume
An online resume-building and career services company that commissioned the analysis.
The details
The long-term unemployed share is measured as the portion of people out of work for 27 weeks or longer. Hiring rates fell to 3.3%, the lowest in the 11-year study window, while layoffs stayed flat, indicating employers are slowing new hiring rather than cutting existing staff. Among adults ages 25-54, however, 83.7% were working or looking for work, the highest rate in the study.
Timeline
2023: long-term unemployment share at 18.9% of unemployed workers.
May 2026: nearly 2 million Americans unemployed at least 27 weeks.
First seven months of 2026: long-term share averaged 25.9%.
Market Landscape
The 2026 rise in long-term unemployment extends a multi-year trend tracked in the Bureau of Labor Statistics duration-of-unemployment series. The pattern points to a hiring slowdown rather than a wave of layoffs, distinguishing it from downturns driven by job losses.
Employers should expect a larger pool of experienced candidates and lower competition for open roles, which can change recruiting timelines and pay negotiations. Hiring managers should weigh whether slower hiring is reducing their own pipeline of qualified applicants.
The takeaway
Plan for longer recruiting cycles and a deeper candidate pool when budgeting for hiring over the next year. Track the monthly duration-of-unemployment figures in federal releases to see whether the long-term share keeps rising.
Further reading
For broader context on how these shifts affect hiring and job seekers, explore the Employment section.
More information
Read the full MyPerfectResume long-term unemployment report for the complete analysis of the 23 federal data sets.
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