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Questions and Answers
What are the consequences of unemployment on individuals?
What are the consequences of unemployment on individuals?
Which group is NOT part of the working-age population?
Which group is NOT part of the working-age population?
What criteria classify someone as unemployed?
What criteria classify someone as unemployed?
What is one of the main purposes of the Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau?
What is one of the main purposes of the Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau?
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What benefit might individuals receive during unemployment?
What benefit might individuals receive during unemployment?
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Which of the following describes the labor force?
Which of the following describes the labor force?
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What is a characteristic of individuals 'waiting to be called back' in the unemployment category?
What is a characteristic of individuals 'waiting to be called back' in the unemployment category?
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What is the significance of job growth post-recession in 2008 and 2009 for the U.S. economy?
What is the significance of job growth post-recession in 2008 and 2009 for the U.S. economy?
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What defines full employment in an economy?
What defines full employment in an economy?
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Which of the following factors can influence the natural unemployment rate?
Which of the following factors can influence the natural unemployment rate?
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What does potential GDP represent?
What does potential GDP represent?
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How is the output gap defined?
How is the output gap defined?
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What happens when the output gap is negative?
What happens when the output gap is negative?
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Why is unpredictable inflation considered a problem?
Why is unpredictable inflation considered a problem?
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What is the definition of deflation?
What is the definition of deflation?
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Which of the following best describes a risk of unpredictable deflation?
Which of the following best describes a risk of unpredictable deflation?
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What are the main characteristics of a discouraged worker?
What are the main characteristics of a discouraged worker?
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Which type of unemployment arises due to the normal turnover in the labor market?
Which type of unemployment arises due to the normal turnover in the labor market?
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What is meant by economic part-time workers?
What is meant by economic part-time workers?
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What is the most costly form of unemployment?
What is the most costly form of unemployment?
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Which type of unemployment is characterized by job loss due to technological changes or foreign competition?
Which type of unemployment is characterized by job loss due to technological changes or foreign competition?
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How is natural unemployment defined?
How is natural unemployment defined?
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What characterizes cyclical unemployment?
What characterizes cyclical unemployment?
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Increasing the number of people entering the labor force is likely to affect which type of unemployment?
Increasing the number of people entering the labor force is likely to affect which type of unemployment?
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What was the unemployment rate in June 2012?
What was the unemployment rate in June 2012?
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What does the employment-to-population ratio represent?
What does the employment-to-population ratio represent?
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How is the labor force participation rate calculated?
How is the labor force participation rate calculated?
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What was the employment-to-population ratio in June 2012?
What was the employment-to-population ratio in June 2012?
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Which group is excluded from the official unemployment rate calculation?
Which group is excluded from the official unemployment rate calculation?
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Who are marginally attached workers?
Who are marginally attached workers?
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Which of the following best describes the labor force in June 2012?
Which of the following best describes the labor force in June 2012?
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What is the total working-age population in June 2012?
What is the total working-age population in June 2012?
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What is a cost of high inflation from a social perspective?
What is a cost of high inflation from a social perspective?
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What characterizes hyperinflation?
What characterizes hyperinflation?
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How is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for a reference base period defined?
How is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for a reference base period defined?
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What was the CPI value in June 2012, and what does it represent?
What was the CPI value in June 2012, and what does it represent?
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What component makes up the largest part of the CPI basket?
What component makes up the largest part of the CPI basket?
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Which is NOT a stage involved in constructing the CPI?
Which is NOT a stage involved in constructing the CPI?
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How many goods are checked each month for the CPI calculation?
How many goods are checked each month for the CPI calculation?
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What is the purpose of the Consumer Expenditure Survey?
What is the purpose of the Consumer Expenditure Survey?
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What was the cost of the CPI basket in the base period?
What was the cost of the CPI basket in the base period?
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How is the CPI calculated?
How is the CPI calculated?
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What is the inflation rate if the CPI this year is 140 and the CPI last year was 100?
What is the inflation rate if the CPI this year is 140 and the CPI last year was 100?
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Which of the following is true about the PCE deflator?
Which of the following is true about the PCE deflator?
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How does the GDP deflator differ from the PCE deflator?
How does the GDP deflator differ from the PCE deflator?
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What is the formula for calculating the real wage rate?
What is the formula for calculating the real wage rate?
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If the CPI this year is 140 and last year it was 130, what is the inflation rate?
If the CPI this year is 140 and last year it was 130, what is the inflation rate?
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What is NOT included in the CPI calculations?
What is NOT included in the CPI calculations?
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Study Notes
Economics
- This is a textbook or course material on economics.
- The Eleventh Edition of the textbook is authored by Michael Parkin.
- The book is a global edition
Monitoring Jobs and Inflation
- The material discusses measuring unemployment and inflation as indicators of the U.S. economy's health.
- How unemployment and inflation rates are calculated is discussed.
- The reliability of these measurements in reflecting the economy's health is questioned.
- The weak job growth in the U.S. after the 2008-2009 recession is mentioned.
Employment and Unemployment
- Why Unemployment is a Problem: Unemployment results in lost income and production, and loss of human capital.
- Unemployment benefits are a safety net but don't fully replace lost wages, and not everyone receives them.
- Prolonged unemployment permanently harms job prospects by destroying human capital.
- Current Population Survey: The U.S. Census Bureau conducts a monthly survey to determine the status of the U.S. labor force.
- The population is divided into working-age and non-working-age groups.
- Working-age population: Individuals aged 16 and older, excluding those in jail, hospital, or other institutions.
- Labor force: The sum of employed and unemployed workers.
- To be unemployed: A person must be without work but actively searching for work in the past four weeks, waiting to return to a previous job, or waiting to start a new job within 30 days.
- 2012 Data The population in June 2012 was 314 million, with 243.4 million of working age. The total labor force was 155 million; employed workers were 142.2 million; unemployed workers were 12.8 million.
Employment and Unemployment - Key Indicators
- Unemployment rate: The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed. (Number of unemployed / labor force) * 100.
- In June 2012 the rate was 8.2%
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Employment-to-population ratio: Percentage of the working-age population with jobs. (Employment / working-age population)* 100.
- In June 2012 this was 58.45%.
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Labor force participation rate: Percentage of the working-age population in the labor force. (Labor force / working-age population)* 100.
- In June 2012 this was 63.7%.
Employment and Unemployment Definitions
- The unemployment rate is designed to measure underutilization of labor resources.
- The current measure excludes:
- Marginally attached workers: People who aren't working or looking for work but want and are available for a job and have looked for work recently. Some are discouraged workers who have stopped looking for a job due to repeated failure.
- Part-time workers who want full-time jobs: Officially considered economic part-time workers and partially unemployed.
Unemployment and Full Employment
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Unemployment types: Frictional, structural, cyclical.
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Frictional unemployment: Arises from normal labor market turnover. People are searching for jobs in a changing job market
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Structural unemployment: Results from technological change, foreign competition, or changing job locations affecting worker skills. This unemployment lasts longer than frictional.
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Cyclical unemployment: Is higher than normal during economic downturns (recessions) and lower than normal during economic booms.
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Natural unemployment: The unemployment rate when there is no cyclical unemployment, including frictional and structural unemployment.
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Full employment: A situation where the unemployment rate equals the natural unemployment rate. There is no cyclical unemployment
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Key factors influencing natural unemployment rates: Age distribution of the population, the scale of structural change, the real wage rate, and unemployment benefits.
Real GDP and Unemployment
- Potential GDP: The quantity of real GDP produced at full employment.
- Potential GDP: Corresponds to the economy's capacity to produce output on a consistent basis.
- Output gap: Represents the difference between Real GDP and Potential GDP. Fluctuates with the business cycle.
- Unemployment rate fluctuations: Changes around the natural unemployment rate in line with the output gap.
Price Level, Inflation, and Deflation
- Price level: Average level of prices and the value of money.
- Inflation: A persistently rising price level.
- Deflation: A persistently falling price level.
- Why are predictable inflation/deflation not a problem? Unpredictable inflation/deflation are problems because they redistribute income, wealth, lower real GDP and employment, divert resources.
- Hyperinflation: A very rapid inflation rate; workers are paid frequently because money loses its value.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
- The CPI measures the average prices paid by urban consumers for a "fixed" basket of consumer goods and services.
- The reference base period is 1982-1984, with a CPI of 100.
- CPI for June 2012 was 228.8.
- CPI construction: Selecting the CPI basket, conducting monthly price surveys, and calculating CPI values.
- CPI basket constituents: Housing (largest component); Transportation and food & beverages (next largest components); other components account for 26%.
- Monthly price surveys: BLS employees check the prices of 80,000 goods in the CPI basket in 30 metropolitan areas every month.
CPI Calculation
- CPI calculation formula: (Cost of basket at current-period prices / Cost of basket at base-period prices) * 100
- The base year is the period against which the price increase or decrease is measured. The chosen base period has a defined CPI of 100.
Inflation Rate Measurement
- The inflation rate represents the price level change from one year to the next.
- Inflation rate calculation formula: [(CPI this year - CPI last year) / CPI last year] * 100
Other Price Level Measures
- Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) deflator: A broader measure of the price level than CPI, including all consumption expenditure.
- GDP deflator: Similar to the PCE deflator, but includes prices of all goods and services included in GDP
Real Variables in Macroeconomics
- Using the deflator to convert nominal variables into real values.
- Example of calculating real wage rate: (Nominal wage rate / GDP deflator)* 100.
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