February 3, 2011

Gallup Finds U.S. Unemployment Up Slightly in January to 9.8%Underemployment at 18.9%, compared with 19.0% at the end of December

by Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist

PRINCETON, NJ -- Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, increased to 9.8% at the end of January -- up from 9.6% at the end of December, but down from 10.9% a year ago.



The percentage of part-time workers who want full-time work improved slightly, to 9.1% of the workforce in January from 9.4% in December -- similar to the 9.0% of January 2010.



Underemployment Essentially Unchanged in January

Underemployment -- the combination of part-time workers wanting full-time work and Gallup's U.S. unemployment rate -- was 18.9% in January, essentially the same as the 19.0% of December. Underemployment now stands one percentage point below the 19.9% of a year ago.



The Real-Time Jobs Picture

See global employment data > http://www.gallup.com/poll/145487/Gallu ... cking.aspx

Comparing Gallup's unemployment and underemployment rates so far in 2011 with those for the same periods in 2010 provides something of a seasonally adjusted view of Gallup's jobs data. Unemployment and underemployment are now at least one point below the rates of a year ago, reflecting modest improvement over the past year.

Still, Gallup's measures paint a real-time picture of the current job realities on the ground: nearly 1 in 10 Americans in the U.S. workforce are unemployed, nearly one out of five are underemployed, and the nation's overall hiring situation has not improved over the past four to six months.

Gallup.com reports results from these indexes in daily, weekly, and monthly averages and in Gallup.com stories. Complete trend data are always available to view and export in the following charts:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/145922/Gallu ... nuary.aspx