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The 2024 ACS 1-Year PUMS file has not yet been released amidst the U.S. federal government shutdown. Once these data are available, IPUMS will process and release them as quickly as possible.
DURUNEMP
Continuous weeks unemployed
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Description

DURUNEMP reports how many consecutive weeks had elapsed since each currently-unemployed respondent was last employed (i.e., how many weeks had the person been without a job and looking for one).

Codes

DURUNEMP is a 2-digit numeric variable that reports how many consecutive weeks had elapsed since each currently-unemployed respondent was last employed (i.e., how many weeks had the person been without a job and looking for one). DURUNEMP specific variable codes for missing, edited, or unidentified observations, observations not applicable (N/A), observations not in universe (NIU), top and bottom value coding, etc. are provided below if applicable by Census year (and data sample if specified).

DURUNEMP Specific Variable Codes
000 = Less than 1 week
100 = 100 weeks unemployed (Top Code: 1950)
250 = 250 weeks unemployed (Top Code: 1940)
998 = Unknown
999 = N/A

User Note: All amounts under 100 weeks are recorded precisely as the respondent answered. In the 1940 1% sample, amounts over 100 weeks are expressed in the following intervals, defined by the midpoint:
112 = 100-124 weeks unemployed
137 = 125-149 weeks unemployed
175 = 150-199 weeks unemployed
225 = 200-249 weeks unemployed

Comparability

This variable is comparable across years. In 1940, enumerators asked for the "duration of unemployment"; in 1950, they asked for the number of weeks the person had been "looking for work." These are technically the same thing -- a person must be looking for work to be considered unemployed (see EMPSTAT).

The variables MOUNEMP and WKSUNEMP relate to the duration of unemployment during a one-year interval. Unlike DURUNEMP, these other unemployment questions were not asked only of unemployed persons, and they may sum the lengths of multiple spells of unemployment between jobs.

Universe

  • 1940: Unemployed persons and persons employed on public emergency work projects, age 14+.
  • 1950: Unemployed sample-line persons, age 14+; not available in Alaska.

Availability

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Flags

QQTRUNEM 

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.