Types of Unemployment

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Name: Title: Institution: Professor: Date of submission: Introduction Unemployment refers to the situation where factors of production in a particular area are willing and capable of being employed at the current market wages but are involuntarily unutilized or under-utilized. The three types of unemployment are: Structural Unemployment Occurs as a result of a mismatch between the skills possessed by workers and what the job requires. As a result, there is absence of demand for the available workers leading to unemployment. When an industry relocates to another area it may not be possible for some workers to move with the company. They therefore remain with their skills which may not be applicable in other industries. Innovation and development of new technologies renders some skills obsolete. Structural unemployment is thus caused by technical changes in the production process as well as changes in the types of products that people demand. Frictional Unemployment This is usually short term in nature and arises when people are changing jobs or because of lack of knowledge about job opportunities. It takes time for prospective employees to match with the employers thus resulting in unemployment during the period of job searching. Workers may also not take up a job offer due to wage issues. It also results when people are changing jobs or careers as well as when they are moving to a new location. Cyclical Unemployment This is the type of unemployment which is usually associated with changes in the trade cycle. The four cycles of the economy each have their own levels of unemployment. During recovery and boom phases, the level of unemployment is low because the demand for labor and output is high. However, during recession and depression phases, unemployment rates rise because the demand for labor and output falls. Frictional Unemployment is desirable.

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