The president paints a rosy economic picture, and in many ways, he's right to do that. The stock market is up and unemployment is down — at its lowest level since before the financial crash. But there's another important metric that's often overlooked.

That's long-term unemployment. The percentage of the unemployed who've been jobless for 27 weeks or longer is way up. That's bad both for those unemployed workers and for the economy as a whole, but it's rarely talked about.

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Braves first baseman Matt Olson (left) is greeted by Ronald Acuña Jr. after batting during the MLB Home Run Derby as part of the All-Star Game festivities on Monday, July 14, 2025, at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC