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By Suzanne Blake
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The number of Americans struggling to find work for six months or longer has surged ahead of the midterm elections, according to a new survey.
About 1.9 million Americans were unemployed for at least 27 weeks in September, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. That represented 27.1 percent of all unemployed Americans.
And now a new report from MyPerfectResume found long-term unemployment increased 68 percent since 2023, from roughly 1.1 million people to 1.9 million. On top of that, the share of unemployed Americans out of work for at least 27 weeks has risen from 19 percent to 26 percent.
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“The reality is, if you lose your job or are downsized in the current environment, you should prepare to be out of work for three to six months, potentially longer, or face the possibility of taking a significant pay cut,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek.
The findings come just before Tuesday's midterms, where it’s likely that the economy and affordability will weigh heavily on voters.
A Pew Research Center survey from last month found that 84 percent of registered voters considered the economy very important to their vote, including 82 percent of Republicans and 88 percent of Democrats.
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Why It Matters
The long-term unemployment figures reflect a weakness in the labor market that isn't necessarily apparent from the headline unemployment rate.
Unemployment was 4.2 percent in September, and 7.1 million people were unemployed, according to BLS. The rate has remained within a relatively narrow 4.1 percent to 4.3 percent range since March. Yet employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, indicating a "low-hire, low-fire" environment.
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What to Know
The MyPerfectResume study found that the share of unemployed Americans who had been without work for 27 weeks or longer increased from 19 percent in 2023 to 26 percent.
The number of long-term unemployed people had also climbed from about 1.1 million to 1.9 million, an increase of 68 percent. Additionally, BLS reported 1.9 million long-term unemployed Americans in September, representing 27.1 percent of the country's unemployed population.
“The main factor is uncertainty in the workforce. Employers are dealing with rising prices and significant economic uncertainty, which has many keeping their hands in their pockets until they get some clarity on where the overall economy is headed,” Thompson said.
Hiring has also fallen to its lowest rate over the 11 years studied, even as layoffs remained below pre-pandemic levels, according to MyPerfectResume.
“The longer someone is unemployed, the harder it becomes to get hired," HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek. "Employers still insist on antiquated interview questions about gaps in employment while demanding increasingly specific qualifications and requiring candidates to jump through endless hoops.
“Older workers face age discrimination, younger workers can't get the experience without someone giving them a chance, and experienced professionals are told they're overqualified, if they're told anything at all. This system makes individual workers responsible for a problem they didn't create.”
Trump's Approval Rating on the Economy
The labor market data arrive at an especially sensitive political moment for President Donald Trump and Republicans.
A RealClearPolling average covering October 9 through October 30 found that just 32.9 percent approved of Trump's handling of the economy, while 64.7 percent disapproved.
While specific surveys may differ, the direction has been consistently negative.
The October CNBC All-America Economic Survey found that 65 percent disapproved of Trump's handling of the economy. Eight in 10 respondents described the economy as either fair or poor, while 63 percent were pessimistic about current conditions and the economic outlook.
Even among Republicans, 35 percent expressed economic pessimism, 6 points higher than in July and the highest level during either of Trump's terms in that survey.
“Politically, this should be a serious warning, though I'm not holding my breath on any action. Americans experience the economy, as we've seen in poll after poll the last few months, through grocery bills, rent, gas, where they're cutting back, and the realization that losing a paycheck could mean six months or more without another one,” Driscoll said.
“When that becomes the reality for millions, hearing from elected officials that the economy is doing fine is insulting.”
Voters Are Worried About the Economy
The economy is poised to be one of the central issues influencing voters on Tuesday.
A Pew survey conducted in early October found that 84 percent of registered voters said the economy was very important to their vote. That concern was generally bipartisan, with 88 percent of Democrats and 82 percent of Republicans describing it as very important.
“The current administration will point to weekly continuing jobless claims as evidence of labor market stability,” Thompson said. “What that fails to capture is that once unemployment benefits are exhausted, often after 26 weeks, those individuals are no longer counted in continuing claims. That doesn't mean they've found employment. It simply means they've exhausted their benefits.”
What Happens Next
Voters often vote based on economic conditions, including how the job market is translating to financial stability and affordability, and recent polling shows that this year's election is unlikely to be any different.
However, because of the back-and-forth blame game of who is responsible for which economic results between administrations and parties, Thompson said that might not translate into any immediate win for Democrats.
“As for the midterms, to be honest, I don't know,” Thompson said. “One would assume this environment would push voters further to the left, but many Americans have been dealing with these economic pressures for so long that determining who is actually responsible has become increasingly difficult.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Dave Siminoff.
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