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What Is The Unemployment Rate Now

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What Is The Unemployment Rate

Colorado Unemployment Rate Now Higher Than National Average

The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed workers in the total labor force. Workers are considered unemployed if they currently do not work, despite the fact that they are able and willing to do so. The total labor force consists of all employed and unemployed people within an economy.

The unemployment rate provides insights into the economys spare capacity and unused resources. Unemployment tends to be cyclical and decreases when the economy expands as companies contract more workers to meet growing demand. Unemployment usually increases as economic activity slows.

There are different types of unemployment: Frictional unemployment refers to temporary unemployment during the period when people are searching for a job. Structural unemployment is a mismatch between workers skills or locations and job requirements. Seasonal unemployment is caused by seasonal patterns in economic activity, such as harvesting or tourism.

The methodology for calculating the unemployment rate often varies among countries since different definitions of employment and unemployment, as well as different data sources, are used.

The table below shows the unemployment rate by country for the last five years.

Looking for forecasts? FocusEconomics Consensus Forecasts cover approx. 30 macro-economic indicators per country for a 5-year forecast period and quarterly forecasts for the most important economic variables. Get Details.

How To Use The Unemployment Rate

Keep in mind that the unemployment rate is a lagging indicator. It tells you what has already happened, since employers only lay off workers after business slows down.

The unemployment rate isn’t lagging as much as usual because the pandemic is still creating sudden changes.

When a recession is over, companies resist hiring new workers until they are sure the economy will stay strong. The economy could improve for months, and the recession could be over before the unemployment rate drops. Although it’s not suitable for predicting trends, it’s useful for confirming them.

A03 Sa: Employment Unemployment And Economic Inactivity For Men Aged From 16 To 64 And Women Aged From 16 To 59

Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity for men aged from 16 to 64 and women aged from 16 to 59 . The employment and inactivity rates shown in this table were the headline employment and inactivity rates until August 2010, when ONS replaced these headline rates with rates for those aged from 16 to 64 for both men and women. These new headline rates for those aged from 16 to 64 are shown in Table A02 SA. These estimates are sourced from the Labour Force Survey, a survey of households.

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Unemployment By Country 2021

The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed workers in the total labor force. The unemployment rate includes workers who currently do not work, although they can do so.

The unemployment rate is a lagging indicator, meaning it responds to changing economic conditions rather than predicts them. When the economy grows at a healthy rate, the job market is plentiful, and the unemployment rate will fall. When the economy is experiencing a recession or turbulent times, the unemployment rate tends to rise due to a lack of jobs.

There are three types of unemployment: frictional, structural, and seasonal. Frictional unemployment refers to temporary unemployment during the period when someone is searching for a job. Structural unemployment is the mismatch between workers’ skills or locations and job requirements. Seasonal unemployment is caused by seasonal changes in a population’s activity, such as tourism or agriculture.

Unemployment has many adverse effects. These include:

  • Increased depression and other mental health problems
  • Overall lower economic productivity and consumption
  • Lower rates of volunteerism
  • Erosion of skills

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8% before the COVID-19 pandemic . By May 2020, the unemployment rate may have been as high as 16%. By September 2020, the unemployment rate .

The ten countries with the lowest unemployment rates are:

Overall Rate Compared To Alternate Measures Of Unemployment

What Is The Black Unemployment Rate Today

The official monthly report does also contain other measures of unemployment. The BLSs uses another metric known as the U-6 which not only considers the people out of work, but also those who are working part-time jobs when they want more, or have stopped looking for work though they would say yes if actually offered a job. That rate was 8.5% in September.

LISEP goes even further. Its true rate of unemployment not only considers those who are discouraged or under employed, but also includes anyone who is making less than $20,000 a year.

Gene Ludwig, chair of LISEP, says it is essential to consider wages when we examine true unemployment because of what wages say about the ability of the economy to provide a decent living for its people.

Numbers as high as were seeing ought to be deeply disturbing to any leader in the country, because it means were not, right now, a country thats able to do this, he said. Were not providing a decent life for our people.

He is also careful to note that $20,000 is a very conservative cutoff that is based on the lowest living wage in all of the states. In many states, even those making higher amounts would not be close to a living wage, suggesting that the TRU rate may be an undercount as well.

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Unemployment Rate By Province

9.6

Albertas Labour Force Survey puts the unemployment rate in the province at 8.70 percent. From indications, there was a decrease of 0.30 percent from the previous rate of 9.00 percent recorded in April, and down 6.8 percent jobless rate of May 2020.

According to Statistics Canada, Alberta had approximately 211,700 unemployed people, representing 8.7 percent of its labour force.

Alberta introduced several safety measures to curb the spread of the pandemic, including the closure of wellness services, recreational facilities, and in-person dining.

The week of May 9 15 used for the study also witnessed the transition to virtual learning for all students in Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Since the province recorded its highest jobless rate in May 2020, there has been a significant improvement. Statistics Canada put Albertas unemployment rate change at 6.80 percent.

The recent job growth can be attributed to some thriving industries, including healthcare, construction, insurance, finance, and natural resources.

UnemploymentRate in Alberta Cities

Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted three-month average unemployment rates for Canadas major cities, including Calgary and Edmonton.

In May 2021, Calgarys unemployment rate stood at 8.7 percent, down 0.6 percent rate recorded in the previous month. Edmonton also recorded a jobless rate of 10.2 percent, down from 10.5 percent recorded in April.

Month
7.1

BC Regional Unemployment Rate

8.7
Cities
7.4
City
5.1
City
5

Blackwhite And Hispanicwhite Inequality Persists Amid Labor Market Recovery

By Kyle K. Moore

EPI analyzes state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity, and racial/ethnic unemployment rate gaps, on a quarterly basis to generate a sample size large enough to create reliable estimates of unemployment rates by race and ethnicity at the state level. We report estimates only for states for which the sample size of these subgroups is large enough to create an accurate estimate. For this reason, the number of states included in our maps and data tables varies based on the analysis performed. The following analysis contains data on the first two quarters of 2021.

Our analysis of first- and second-quarter 2021 data finds a still-uneven recovery picking up its pace due in large part to the widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. Recovery in the labor market has not brought with it racial equity, however the Hispanicwhite unemployment ratio rose from 1.6 in 2020Q4 to nearly 1.7 in 2021Q2, while the Blackwhite unemployment ratio returned to its historical trend of 2.0. That is, although the overall unemployment rate fell, Hispanic workers were still nearly 70% more likely to face unemployment than white workers, while Black workers were twice as likely to face unemployment as white workers. This suggests that a return toward normalcy alone will not be enough to close racial gaps in the labor market.

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What The Us Unemployment Rate Doesnt Tell You

The true measure of unemployment depends on who you ask

Just how healthy is the US jobs market? On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest jobs report, showing that the US added a disappointing 194,000 jobs last month while announcing that the official unemployment rate fell to 4.8%, the lowest its been since its frightening climb to 14.7% when the Covid-19 pandemic first struck the US.

The figures seem somehow disconnected and, for some, Septembers headline figure is woefully misleading, as it is every month. What if the true unemployment rate is actually closer to 22%?

Collection Of Unemployment Data

COVID-19: Who is unemployed? The unemployment rate, explained | Just the FAQs

Official U.S. employment statistics are produced by the BLS, an agency within the Department of Labor. Every month the Census Bureau, part of the Department of Commerce, conducts the Current Population Survey using a sample of around 60,000 households, or around 110,000 individuals.

The survey collects data on individuals in these households by race, ethnicity, age, veteran status, and gender, all of whichalong with geographyadd nuance to the employment data. The sample is rotated so that 75% of the households are constant from month to month and 50% are from year to year. Interviews are conducted in person or by phone.

The survey excludes individuals under the age of 16 and those who are in the Armed Forces . People in correctional facilities, mental healthcare facilities, and other similar institutions are also excluded. Interviewers ask a series of questions that determine employment status, but do not ask whether respondents are employed or unemployed. Nor do the interviewers themselves assign employment status they record the answers for the BLS to analyze.

Interviewers also collect information on industry, occupation, average earnings, union membership, andfor the joblesswhether they quit or were discharged .

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How To Calculate The Real Unemployment Rate

In August 2021, the real unemployment rate was 8.8%. It’s much higher than the reported unemployment rate of 5.2%. There are three steps for calculating the real rate:

  • Add the number of officially unemployed and marginally attached workers to those who work part-time for economic reasons:8.384 million + 1.577 million + 4.469 million = 14.43 million un- and underemployed.
  • Add the number actively in the labor force to the number of marginally attached workers. : 161.537 million + 1.577 million = 163.114 million total.
  • Divide the total number of un- and under-employed by the total labor force, including marginally attached:14.43 million / 163.114 million = .088, or 8.8%.
  • A0: Summary Of Employment Unemployment And Economic Inactivity For People Below State Pension Age

    Labour market summary for people below state pension age. Estimates in this table follow the incremental increase in the female state pension age each quarter. These estimates are not the headline labour force survey estimates – they are shown at Tables A02 SA and A02 NSA. This table is updated four times a year in February, May, August and November. These estimates are sourced from the Labour Force Survey, a survey of households.

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    Seasonal Adjustment And Trend Estimates

    In the April 2020 Labour Force release, the ABS advised that the method used to produce seasonally adjusted estimates would be changed from the concurrent method to the forward factors method, during the COVID-19 period. The forward factors approach is better suited to managing large movements at the end point of series and ensures that large movements do not have a disproportionate influence on the seasonal factors.

    Given the large movements in the labour market during the COVID-19 period and the continuing use of a forward factors approach to seasonal adjustment, the ABS undertook an extensive annual review of its seasonally adjusted Labour Force series, prior to the release of April 2021 estimates.

    Through this process static forward factors have been calculated for the next 12 months taking effect from the April 2021 release .

    Unemployment Numbers Bls Vs Gallup June 2017

    Kentucky unemployment rate drops 1.7 percent in November ...
    Unadjusted U-3
    4.5%

    Data Collection Methods:

    For Calculating Unemployment, the BLS says they interview60,000 different households statistically calculated to represent the entire country. However, they only contact about 15,000 of these households and then use statistical modeling to estimate the U.S. unemployment rate from this data sample. The households in the pool are rotated to limit the burden on any specific family. In addition to questions about employment status the CPS tracks work experience, annual earnings, and whether school-aged children are working, school enrollment, etc.

    See Is the Government Fudging Unemployment Numbers? for the comparison of Gallup numbers vs. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers.

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    Quarterly Rebenchmarking Of Labour Force Statistics

    The ABS has revised the original Labour Force series from July 2019 to reflect the latest available preliminary and final estimates of the Estimated Resident Population. This quarterly process ensures that the Labour Force series promptly reflect any change in population trends and minimises the size of revisions that can occur when the series are rebenchmarked following each Census of Population and Housing.

    In response to COVID-19 related changes in travel, the ABS has been revising preliminary Net Overseas Migration estimates more frequently. Net Overseas Migration estimates are a component of population estimates, from which Labour Force benchmarks are produced. These revisions have been incorporated into the quarterly rebenchmarking revisions. For more information, please refer to ‘Net Overseas Migration revisions in Labour Force benchmarks during COVID-19‘.

    The usual resident civilian population in June 2021 was revised up by around 0.02% .

    Revisions to original series also result in revisions to seasonally adjusted series.

    Improving The Estimation Of Short

    Over the COVID period, there have been large reductions in short-term non-resident arrivals in Australia. These reductions are not reflected in Labour Force Survey employment estimates but are accounted for in Labour Account estimates of employment and jobs. Differences between the Labour Force Survey and Labour Account were outlined in the release.

    Modelling employed short-term non-residents in the Labour Account

    As noted in the March quarter Labour Account release, a model-based approach is needed to estimate the number of short-term/temporary non-residents who are employed as there are no direct sources for this information.

    Improvements to the model and revisions in the September quarter release

    The ABS has reviewed the modelling approach used in the Labour Account and has identified some improved data sources and method enhancements. These will provide a more robust estimation of the number of short-term non-residents who are working, and the hours they worked.

    The new model will be implemented into the Labour Account for the September quarter 2021, with revisions to quarterly and annual Labour Account series across all quadrants .

    These revisions will result in a reduction of the number of employed short-term non-residents in the Labour Account.

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    What Is Unemployment Rate

    The unemployment rate is the percent of the labor force that is jobless. It is a lagging indicator, meaning that it generally rises or falls in the wake of changing economic conditions, rather than anticipating them. When the economy is in poor shape and jobs are scarce, the unemployment rate can be expected to rise. When the economy is growing at a healthy rate and jobs are relatively plentiful, it can be expected to fall.

    Why The Fed Feels Now Is Time To Tighten Credit More Quickly

    Economists estimate AZ unemployment rate is above 10%

    WASHINGTON For months, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell responded to surging inflation by counseling patience and stressing that the Fed wanted to see unemployment return to near-pre-pandemic levels before it would raise interest rates.

    But on Wednesday, Powell suggested that his patience has run out. High inflation has not only persisted but accelerated to a nearly four-decade high. Average wages are rising. Hiring is solid, and unemployment is falling. All those trends, Powell said at a news conference, have led him and the rest of the Feds policymakers to decide that now is the time to speed up the Feds tightening of credit.

    The central bank said it will reduce its monthly bond purchases which are intended to lower long-term rates at twice the pace it had previously set and will likely end the purchases in March. That accelerated timetable puts the Fed on a path to start raising rates as early as the first half of next year.

    The policy changes reflect an abrupt shift by Powell and the Fed to focus more on wrestling inflation under control and less on further reducing unemployment.

    He noted recent economic reports that have shown higher inflation, solid wage growth and steady job gains.

    The inflation that we got, Powell said, was not at all the inflation we were looking for.

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    Unemployment Rate Plunges As Employers Add Record Jobs Post

    Employers add twice as many jobs as predicted in November, taking unemployment rate down to 4.6%

    Australias jobless rate plunged in November as locked down states opened up, with employers defying expectations to add a record number of jobs.

    Last month, the unemployment rate came in at 4.6%, a 0.6 percentage point improvement on the October figures, with 366,100 jobs added, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. Economists had predicted a 5% rate and about 200,000 new jobs for the month.

    The new jobs smashed the previous high for any month, beating the 237,600 tally added in June 2020 after the first economic snap-back after the arrival of Covid.

    The dive in jobless numbers came even as many more people resumed the search for work, a shift that typically nudges the rate higher. The participation rate surged 1.4 percentage points in the month, to 66.1%, and is now higher than pre-Covid pandemic levels, the ABS said.

    Westpac, which had predicted the jobless rate would edge higher to 5.3%, with 200,000 jobs, said the labour market had significantly outperformed expectations.

    Total employment is now higher than it was back in June 2021, the latest round of lockdowns, Justin Smirk, a senior Westpac economist, said in a briefing note.

    He also noted most of the gains were in part-time employment, with 237,800 such positions added.

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