6 results for:
Unemployment Rate
What does the unemployment rate tell you?
At its most basic level, the unemployment rate tells you whether the job market is getting worse or better. That’s important because with a growing number of people out of work, you’re likely to see a drop in consumer spending, the fuel that powers more than two-thirds of the economy. Rising unemployment also suggests that businesses are pessimistic and reducing labor costs rather than investing in expansion.
The official U.S. unemployment rate, which is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, stood at 8.5 percent in March, its highest level since reaching double digits during the recession of the early 1980s. (The rate hit 25 percent during the Great Depression.) The statistic may not give you the full picture of unemployed Americans — it doesn’t count unemployed people who have stopped looking for work or part-timers who want full-time jobs, for example — but it is useful for judging at a high level whether employment is increasing or declining.
Consult the following links for more about the unemployment rate and what it might mean to you.
Editor's Pick
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Behind the Number
Learn how the Bureau of Labor Statistics arrives at the unemployment rate, and what officially qualifies someone as being out of work. Plus, find a link to the latest government data.
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The Unemployment Rate Explained
An explanation of how the unemployment rate is compiled, and what it does and doesn't tell you.
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What Lies Ahead
Bloomberg News surveys economists about the outlook for unemployment and the economy, and the results are sobering.
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The Challenge for New Workers
High unemployment makes it especially tough to crack the job market if you’re just getting out of school.
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Coping With Unemployment
From executive coaches to college professors, six experts offer ideas for what to do if you lose your job.
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Unemployment Rate Hits 9.4 Percent
The news from the government was worse than expected and the highest rate in more than 25 years. On the other hand, the number of jobs lost in May was significantly lower than predicted.
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Arguments Against Fiscal Stimulus Exhibit "Deep Incoherence"
It seems to me that there is a deep incoherence in the argument that fiscal stimulus won't work. Nobody -- well, very few people -- doubts that when demand falls and unemployment starts rising and consumer prices flatten and start going down that it is appropriate for the Federal Reserve to cut...
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Employment: Less Bad is Good
The April employment report showed that the rate of job loss is tapering off. That's why investors celebrated the fact that "only" over a half million people lost their jobs in April and the unemployment rate was just 8.9 percent. It's like the doctor coming in and telling you: "Good news, you...
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Help Not Wanted
The "underemployment" rate has now reached nearly 15 percent, as millions of Americans struggle to find work. And, as Anthony Mason reports, experts say that the economic forecast remains bleak.
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Recession and Workplace Sabotage
With the unemployment rate rising, some are desperate to keep their jobs. How far would you go to preserve your own job? Priya David reports.
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A Jobless Rate Reality Check
With growing unemployment and underemployment figures, economists say that layoffs will continue in the U.S. As Anthony Mason reports, significant nationwide hiring may not resume until next year.
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