DEFINING U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT

The unemployment rate is a key indicator of the health of any economy, and a harbinger of social ills: as the unemployment rate rises all kinds of social problems tend to grow, like poverty, crime, delinquency, alcoholism and domestic violence.  Despite its importance, defining the unemployment rate — especially who is considered employed and unemployed — is more complex than one might imagine, and the U.S. Government’s definition may surprise you.  Take this quiz to find out how much you know about how unemployment is defined in the USA.

Special thanks to Learning Life intern Kane Boynton for drafting this quiz, and to Learning Life Content Writer Craig Gusmann for editing the quiz.

The unemployment rate is a key indicator of the health of any economy, and a harbinger of social ills: as the unemployment rate rises all kinds of social problems tend to grow, like poverty, crime, delinquency, alcoholism and domestic violence. Despite its importance, defining the unemployment rate -- especially who is considered employed and unemployed -- is more complex than one might imagine, and the U.S. Government’s definition may surprise you. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about how unemployment is defined in the USA.

Special thanks to Learning Life intern Kane Boynton for drafting this quiz, and to Learning Life Content Writer Craig Gusmann for editing the quiz.

1. All of the following people are taken into account in determining the U.S. unemployment rate except:

Adults who are employed

Adults who are unemployed

People who are employed and 16-18 years old

Adults who are retired

Adults who own and work in their own businesses

2. All of the following are examples of unemployed people, except:

A homemaker who is looking for part-time work now that the children are out of the house

A person who was looking for a job, but was not able to look over the last month due to illness

A person who was laid off, but is expecting to be rehired so they are not currently seeking new employment

A student who applied for a summer job, but is currently in school

A 70-year old retiree who hasn’t worked for 5 years, but is now looking for work

3. All of the following are examples of employed people, except:

People who are over the age of 16 and are full-time students

People who are on sick-leave from work

People who work part-time, and are actively looking for full-time work

People who are on strike

A parent who stays at home with their children, but helps out with the spouse’s company every Friday and Saturday

4. How does the U.S. government measure the unemployment rate?

Employed population divided by the U.S. population

Unemployed population divided by the U.S. population

Unemployed population divided by the U.S. labor force

Unemployed population divided by the employed population

Unemployed population divided by the population not in the U.S. labor force

5. True or False: People who do not have a paying job, but are taking a job training course and are actively looking for job openings on the internet are considered unemployed.

True

False

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