How do you calculate the unemployment rate? How do you calculate the labor force participation rate?

Short Answer

Expert verified
To calculate the unemployment rate, use the formula: Unemployment Rate = \(\frac{U}{L} \times 100\), where U is the number of unemployed persons and L is the total labor force. To calculate the labor force participation rate, use the formula: Labor Force Participation Rate = \(\frac{L}{W} \times 100\), where W is the working-age population.

Step by step solution

01

Define Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate is the ratio of the number of unemployed people to the total labor force, expressed as a percentage. An unemployed person is defined as someone who is not currently working but is actively looking for work.
02

Calculate Unemployment Rate

To calculate the unemployment rate, follow these steps: 1. Find the number of unemployed persons (let's call this U). 2. Find the total labor force (let's call this L). The labor force is the sum of employed persons and unemployed persons. 3. Divide the number of unemployed persons (U) by the total labor force (L). 4. Multiply the result by 100 to get the unemployment rate as a percentage. Unemployment Rate = \(\frac{U}{L} \times 100\) For example, if there are 150 unemployed people and the total labor force is 1,000, then the unemployment rate would be: Unemployment Rate = \(\frac{150}{1,000} \times 100 = 15\%\)
03

Define Labor Force Participation Rate

The labor force participation rate is the ratio of the total labor force to the working-age population, expressed as a percentage. The working-age population includes people who are between the ages of 16 and 64, and who are either employed or unemployed but actively looking for work.
04

Calculate Labor Force Participation Rate

To calculate the labor force participation rate, follow these steps: 1. Find the total labor force (L, as defined earlier). 2. Find the working-age population (let's call this W). 3. Divide the total labor force (L) by the working-age population (W). 4. Multiply the result by 100 to get the labor force participation rate as a percentage. Labor Force Participation Rate = \(\frac{L}{W} \times 100\) For example, if the total labor force is 1,000 and the working-age population is 1,500, then the labor force participation rate would be: Labor Force Participation Rate = \(\frac{1,000}{1,500} \times 100 = 66.67\%\) With this step-by-step guide, you should now be able to calculate both the unemployment rate and the labor force participation rate.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The U.S. unemployment rate increased from 4.6\% in July 2001 to 5.9\% by June 2002. Without studying the subject in any detail, would you expect that a change of this kind is more likely to be due to cyclical unemployment or a change in the natural rate of unemployment? Why?

Would you expect hidden unemployment to be higher, lower, or about the same when the unemployment rate is high, say \(10 \%,\) versus low, say 4\%? Explain.

Assess whether the following would be counted as "unemployed" in the Current Employment Statistics survey. a. A husband willingly stays home with children while his wife works. b. A manufacturing worker whose factory just closed down. C. A college student doing an unpaid summer internship. d. A retiree. e. Someone who has been out of work for two years but keeps looking for a job. f. Someone who has been out of work for two months but isn't looking for a job. g. Someone who hates her present job and is actively looking for another one. h. Someone who decides to take a part time job because she could not find a full time position.

When would you expect cyclical unemployment to be rising? Falling?

What type of unemployment (cyclical, frictional, or structural) applies to each of the following: a. landscapers laid off in response to a drop in new housing construction during a recession. b. coal miners laid off due to EPA regulations that shut down coal fired power c. a financial analyst who quits his/her job in Chicago and is pursing similar work in Arizona d. printers laid off due to drop in demand for printed catalogues and flyers as firms go the internet to promote an advertise their products. e. factory workers in the U.S. laid off as the plants shut down and move to Mexico and Ireland.

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