3.1: Measuring Unemployment
Read this chapter on the unemployment rate. This chapter provides analyses and insights into the composition of the labor force and connections to the nature and duration of unemployment periods.
Watch this lecture about unemployment. Discouraged workers are those individuals who remove themselves from the labor force, as they are no longer seeking employment regularly. Underemployed workers are those who are typically seeking a better job but are performing in jobs through minimal use of their skill sets.
Watch this lecture about the unemployment rate.
Read this article, which includes data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to learn how to calculate the unemployment rate.
Read this article to learn about some of the shortcomings of unemployment statistics and alternative metrics to see a more full picture.