![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6892570b170000e50963d8d9.png\")
People unemployed 27 weeks or longer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/p>\n
HuffPost readers: Dealing with long-term unemployment? Tell us about it \u2013 email <\/strong>arthur@huffpost.com<\/strong><\/a>. Please include your phone number if you\u2019re willing to be interviewed. <\/strong><\/p>\n Persistently high long-term joblessness was a hallmark of slow recovery from the Great Recession that officially ended in 2009. It disproportionately affected older workers, becoming a self-perpetuating problem as employers sought job applicants with minimal or no gaps on their resumes.<\/p>\n Some economists worry another recession could be around the corner. The overall unemployment rate remained low in July, at just 4.2%, and the economy has continued to add jobs, albeit at a slower pace than previously estimated. Bureau of Labor Statistics data suggest the last three months were the weakest for job growth since the pandemic<\/a>. Trump fired the BLS commissioner on Friday, claiming without evidence that the numbers were somehow \u201crigged\u201d to make him look bad. <\/p>\n 20 Years OfFreeJournalism<\/p>\n Your Support Fuels Our Mission<\/p>\n Your Support Fuels Our Mission<\/p>\n For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 \u2014 we can’t do this without you.<\/p>\n We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.<\/p>\n Thank you again for your support along the way. We\u2019re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever.