The Quiet Return of Long-Term Unemployment in 2026

Episode 53 of The Labor Market Podcast digs into a worrying trend that's flying under the radar: long-term unemployment is creeping back up even as the headline jobless rate stays flat at 4.3 percent. Lucas and Luna examine new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that the share of unemployed workers out of work for 27 weeks or longer has risen to 22.6 percent, up from 19.8 percent a year ago. They explore why this matters for wage growth, Fed policy, and the broader economy, and contrast the experience of prime-age workers with older cohorts. The episode also touches on how the rise in temporary help jobs—up slightly in May—may be masking underlying softness. A data-rich conversation for anyone trying to read between the lines of the monthly jobs report. #LongTermUnemployment #LaborMarket #JobsReport #UnemploymentRate #WageGrowth #FedPolicy #EconomicIndicators #JOLTS #TemporaryJobs #PrimeAgeWorkers #OlderWorkers #BureauOfLaborStatistics #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LaborMarketPodcast #2026Economy #StructuralUnemployment Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo