FIGURE 3 UNEMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES (2000–2015)
imageThe Department of Labor categorizes unemployment into those unemployed and still actively seeking work, those who are discouraged (not looked for work in the last 4 weeks), those who are marginally attached for other reasons (have looked for work in the past 12 months, but not in the last 4 weeks due to, for example, family issues or transportation problems), and those working part-time but who would prefer full-time work. The categories U-3 (the official unemployment rate), U-4, U-5, and U-6 correspond to the sum of these respective categories.
Janusz Kapusta/Illustration Source