(a) Distinguish Between the Classical View and the Keynesian View of Unemployment. (B) Compare and Contrast the Unemployment Rate and Its Composition for Six Countries of Your Choice.

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The latest unemployment rate in the UK is 8.1 per cent. (a) Distinguish between the classical view and the Keynesian view of unemployment. (b) Compare and contrast the unemployment rate and its composition for six countries of your choice. Unemployment can be defined as an economic condition marked by the fact that individuals actively seeking jobs remain un-hired (Investor Words, Unemployment). There are two views of unemployment known as the classical and Keynesian view. Unemployment rates (which are the percentage of the working population unemployed) vary significantly from country to country with some as low as Belarus’ at 1.0% (2009 est.)(CIA World Factbook) and some as high as Zimbabwe’s at 97% (2009 est.)(CIA World Factbook). The UK’s current level of unemployment is at 2.62 million (BBC News Business, 16th Nov 2011) which has remained high since the global downturn at the end of 2008. In the classical view, unemployment rates are associated with the real wage rate. Unemployment occurs because wages are too high and above the market clearing level. This causes an excess of supply. Trade unions exert pressure on firms to raise real wages which puts the real wage level above the market clearing level and is blamed for an increase in unemployment. More workers will enter the market due to the higher wages. Diagram 1(i) shows the classical view of unemployment. The labour force curve is positively sloped to show that when wages rise, more people will be willing to work. Labour supply shows those who are willing to take a job at the current wage rate and the labour demand curve corresponds to the demand for employees by employers. Labour supply Labour supply Real wage (W/P) Real wage (W/P) Labour force Labour force (W/P)2 (W/P)2 At wage rate (W/P)2 the rate of unemployment is N4 – N2. The supply of labour has outstripped the level of demand.

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