The chart below, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that the average number of weeks that all workers are unemployed continues to climb, despite the declared end of the Great Recession in June 2009.

For all workers over 16 years of age, the average length of time out of work has risen to 41.4 weeks.

For workers who are 55-plus, the average number of weeks out of work now exceeds a year at 53.7  weeks.