Unemployment and Inflation

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Unemployment & Inflation Economic development strongly depends on two factors: unemployment and inflation. Unemployment is defined as the number of adults over the age of sixteen who are able to work and don’t have a job. The Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country. The CPS has been conducted in the United States every month since 1940 when it began as a Work Projects Administration project (O' Sullivan, Arthur, Steven Sheffrin, and Stephen Perez, 2012). Inflation is defined as a substantial and rapid increase in the general price level which causes a decline in the purchasing power of money. The Bureau of Labor Statistics “embargoes” the monthly release of Consumer Price Index Inflation Data. In other words, they keep it a secret until a specified date so no one will have an unfair advantage by getting the Consumer Price information early. Unemployment can be divided up into three basic types: frictional, structural, and cyclical. Frictional unemployment arises because workers seeking jobs do not find them immediately. While looking for work they are counted as unemployed. A January 1983 survey showed that more than 25 percent of all workers had been with their current employers one year or less (Krugman, 2012). Structural unemployment arises from an imbalance between the kinds of workers wanted by employers and the kinds of workers looking for a job. The imbalances may be caused by inadequacy in skills, locations, or personal characteristics. Technological developments necessitate new skills in many industries, leaving those workers who have outdated skills without a job. Lastly, cyclical unemployment rises and falls with busts and booms in the macro economy. When the economy is booming, cyclical unemployment declines.

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