Refers to the time among the date that the unemployed starts to seek a work and the survey reference week.  Duration of "Less than one month" refers to the duration of unemployment during the previous four weeks, including the survey reference week. It refers only to the amount of time runing from the moment when the individual started to look for a job to the moment of the interview. It does not count in terms of the lapse running between the moment when s/he was laid off or quit to the moment of the interview because this would apply only to those with labor experience. Besides, to seek for a job and not just to be without a job is what makes a person considered as unemployed.

Exclusions: According to the OECD unemployment definition, persons that have found a job that will start the next month following the reference week of the survey are classified as unemployed.  However, the Mexican LFS considers these persons as employed so they are not asked to give information on work search.  Therefore they are not included in employment by duration.   Before 2005 the so-called future starters were not included as a part of the unemployed. This criteria was modified with ENOE so as to be included. Also ENOE is less generous than ENE in respect to those who are independent workers absent from their business claiming to retake them in no more than a month. If no income is generated during the absence ENOE does not consider those cases as employed any longer.