Fact Check: Has long-term unemployment increased between May 2025 and 2026 in the US?
Yes
The number of people in long-term unemployment has increased significantly compared to a year ago.
In May 2026, two million people were looking for a job and jobless for 27 weeks or more — up 524,000 from May 2025.
Since February 2023, long-term unemployment has been on a rising trend. It represented 17.8% of total unemployment then, compared to 20.4% in May 2025 and 27.5% in May 2026. Overall unemployment has remained relatively flat since May 2025, in the range of 4.1% to 4.5%.
It is taking more time for unemployed people to find a job. In May 2026, the median time to find a job was 11 weeks, the longest since December 2021.
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Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics The Employment Situation – May 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployed 27 weeks or longer as a percent of total unemployed
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Median Weeks Unemployed
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