What is the longest you have been unemployed?

[LeeCallaghan]

The longest for me was about 14 months between 2013 to 2014

[Partyfops]

1 week

[JourneyWithMe]

I never have.
Literally in a job from leaving university until now (42)
(guessing Mat leave doesn't count - have had 2 - 8 months and 4 months)

[MrsMoastyToasty]

About 6 weeks (including Christmas).

[Kazzyhoward]

Not a single day. I'm on my 35th year of working. I started my first job the Monday after my last school exams. I've gone from job to job, always getting a new job before handing in notice for the old, leaving on the Friday, starting the following Monday. I then went self employed, but started doing it "on the side" before leaving my final job.

[BrownLiverSpot]

6 months. But I had a few years when I could only get short term contracts with a couple of months of unemployment in between contracts. Of course it was right around mat leave, that didn't help.

[PrudenceDear]

4 months now since being made redundant with no warning. Struggling to find work as everything has changed so much in the past decade or so... plus trying to fit around husbands shifts, kids... I’m sure I’ll find something, just hope it’s soon

[delilahbucket]

Five months. A break between the end of mat leave and then realising that being a stay at home mum a) wasn't for me and b) wasn't possible with a lazy ass partner who "couldn't" work. It actually only took two months of job applications to secure a job but I didn't start immediately.

[LemonysSnicket]

3 months ( though didn’t work for 6 as the job didn’t start for another 3 🙄

[Kursk]

3 weeks, left the UK and moved to the USA with no job lined up!

[ReinettePompadour]

I've been unemployed (SAHM) for over 15 years. Before that I had never been unemployed. I worked from 12 years of age part time ( 30 hours a week, in the 60s before anyone comments about working hours) and full time (first job was 50 hours a week) from 18.

I work ad hoc and part time at the moment on NMW. You can't really call it being employed as such as I haven't had any shifts for 10 days.

[Els1e]

3 weeks

[MissCalamity]

2/3 weeks back in 2001 when I was made redundant. Was already looking for another job as I hated it there, so just got a bit of a bigger push to do so.

[k2p2k2tog]

About a week. Any time I had a gap in employment I registered with temp agencies and had work within the week. I'm now self-employed.

[Lifeofpies]

This is my first week unemployed ever (since leaving school, worked through uni) I’ve just taken voluntary redundancy but am also 15w pregnant, so not sure I’ll manage to get a job now. Feels very very odd!

[Tipsntoes]

Depends what you mean by unemployed, I had three months out of the workforce after I was made redundant but I didn't claim jobseekers as I wasn't really looking for work.

[NameChanger22]

I've never been unemployed. I had periods when I wasn't working in my 20s because I was travelling the world or studying. I took a year maternity leave and couldn't wait to get back to work. Being unemployed terrifies me.

[NotCornflakes]

Six months, although I was travelling for the first two, so I'm not sure that counts as I didn't want to be employed at that point! Once I started job hunting it took me four months to get something, luckily I could afford to be fussy until I managed to get a job in my professional field again.

[Littlelondoner]

About 3 months. But I relocated to a new area so wasnt actovely hunting as muvh as I could. Once started really job hunting a week.

[DramaAlpaca]

Other than maternity leave & several years as a SAHM, one week.

[WeAllHaveWings]

6 weeks after redundancy (25 years in same job) when I was 44.

[RideOn]

If you don’t count 2 summers when I was a student, then 2 weeks. One job finished, but the next didn’t start straight away (I had the job already).

[winterinmadeira]

6 weeks. I needed it though to recharge my batteries after finishing in a horrendous job

[YellowMakesMeSmile]

Never, since leaving education I've always worked. Have switched jobs and roles but just gone from one to the next with no break.

[Babyroobs]

Never been unemployed apart from taking slightly extended mat leave with my third child - only around 14 months though.