The number of weeks during 1979 in which a person did not work but was looking for work or was on layoff from a job, tabulated for persons who did not work in 1979 or worked less than 52 weeks. Excluded from weeks of unemployment is any week in which the person worked (even for 1 hour), any week for which the person received wages or salary, or any week in which the person was on active duty in the Armed Forces, on paid vacation, or on paid leave. The question on weeks of unemployment did not ask whether the person was available to accept a job. (See the definition of unemployed under Labor Force Status. This item was collected on a sample basis.

Persons 16 years old and over with unemployment in 1979 were classified as follows: unemployed 1 to 4 weeks, 5 to 14 weeks, 15 to 26 weeks, and 27 weeks or more. Census basic records and public-use microdata record the actual number of weeks unemployed.