Economist: Length of Unemployment Signals Labor Market Isn't as Good as Headline Rate Suggests

"I don't care what that unemployment rate says. It's not good right now," said one commentator, citing analysis from .
According to the economist, "the length of unemployment, not just how many people are unemployed, but how long they've been unemployed and the share that have been looking for six months or more" are the key metrics to watch. "Both of those numbers are way too high to call the labor market good," and have been trending in the wrong direction for a while, with unemployed workers taking longer to find jobs.