Huff Post: 600,000 Americans Unemployed For 2+ Years

More than half a million people have been unemployed for at least 99 weeks, which translates to about two years, according to a new report.

The Huffington Post cites Labor Department data that shows 600,000 people are part of that group. In 2011, the figure hit almost 2 million people.

Called 99ers, people in this group have exhausted their unemployment benefits. They now make up 8.1 of the unemployed population in the United States, a change from 14.5 percent in 2012.

A recent report showed the unemployment rate went up in three of the eight swing states in the presidential election — Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio. It remained steady in New Hampshire.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said last month he will create 25 million jobs over the next 10 years if he wins the election on Nov. 8.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 5 percent in September.

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