• All persons who did any work for
pay or profit during the survey week (the week of the 12th of the
• All persons who did at least 15
hours of unpaid work in a family-operated business.
• All persons who were temporarily
absent from their regular jobs because of illness, vacation, bad
weather, industrial dispute, or various personal reasons.
Unemployed persons consist of:
• All persons who did not have a job
at all during the survey week, made specific active efforts to find a
job during the prior 4-week period, and were available for work (unless
• All persons who were not working
and were waiting to be called back to a job from which they had been
temporarily laid off.
People who are neither Employed nor
Unemployed are out of the labor force.
• Persons under 16 years of age are
automatically excluded from the official labor force measurements.
• Residents of institutions and
persons on active duty in the Armed Forces are excluded.
• Persons who have no job AND are not
looking for one are excluded. Many who do not participate in the labor
force are going to school, retired or have family responsibilities.
The Major Types of Unemployment
Unemployment is characterized into five
basic types: frictional, cyclical, seasonal, structural and technological.
Frictional Unemployment - The
continuous flow of individuals from job to job and in and out of
employment. There will always be some frictional unemployment as resources
are directed in the market.
Cyclical Unemployment - Occurs
during a major downturn in business cycle caused by a low demand for
goods/services. (An example is September 11th)
Seasonal Unemployment - Comes and
goes with seasons of the year in which the demand for particular jobs
rises and falls. (An example is construction or agriculture)
Structural Unemployment - Results
from fundamental changes in the structure of the economy. Occurs when
demand for a product falls drastically so that workers specializing in the
production of that product find themselves out of work.
Technological Unemployment -
Caused by technological changes reducing labor demands for specific tasks.