In the recovery phase that began in April or May of 2009, what went up quickly did not
come down quickly. Thus far the overall unemployment rate has remained within a narrow range
—hovering during the past year first a bit below 10 percent, then rising to a bit above 10 percent,
and more recently, remaining a bit below 10 percent. But in the same period the long-term
unemployment rate has continued to skyrocket as rapidly as during the recession phase. By April
2010, the proportion of the unemployed with jobless durations of six months or more had