b.
white females
c.
black males
d.
black females
125. According to 2014 data on the U.S. population, which of the following groups of adults of prime working age (ages
25–54) had the lowest unemployment rate?
a.
white males
b.
white females
c.
black males
d.
black females
126. According to 2014 data on the U.S. population, which of the following groups of teenagers (ages 16–19) had the
highest labor-force participation rate?
a.
white males
b.
white females
c.
black males
d.
black females
127. According to 2014 data on the U.S. population, which of the following groups of teenagers (ages 16–19) had the
lowest labor-force participation rate?
a.
white males
b.
white females
c.
black males
d.
black females
128. According to 2014 data on the U.S. population, which of the following groups of teenagers (ages 16–19) had the
highest unemployment rate?
a.
white males
b.
white females
c.
black males
d.
black females
129. According to 2014 data on the U.S. population, which of the following groups of teenagers (ages 16–19) had the
lowest unemployment rate?
a.
white males
b.
white females
c.
black males
d.
black females
130. Which of the following is correct?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Table 28-4
2010 Labor Data for Adults (ages 16 and older) in Meditor
Males not in labor force
45 million
Females not in labor force
35 million
Males unemployed
5 million
Females unemployed
5 million
Males employed
85 million
Females employed
65 million
131. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult population in Meditor?
a.
90 million
b.
160 million
c.
230 million
d.
240 million
132. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult labor force in Meditor?
a.
90 million
b.
150 million
c.
160 million
d.
230 million
133. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult unemployment rate in Meditor?
a.
4.2%
b.
6.25%
c.
6.7%
d.
10%
134. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult labor-force participation rate in Meditor?
a.
37.5%
b.
62.5%
c.
66.7%
d.
95.8%
135. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult male population in Meditor?
a.
50 million
b.
90 million
c.
130 million
d.
135 million
136. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult male labor force in Meditor?
a.
50 million
b.
85 million
c.
90 million
d.
130 million
137. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult male unemployment rate in Meditor?
a.
3.7%
b.
5.0%
c.
5.6%
d.
5.9%
138. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult male labor-force participation rate in Meditor?
a.
37%
b.
63%
c.
66.7%
d.
96.3%
139. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult female population in Meditor?
a.
40 million
b.
70 million
c.
100 million
d.
105 million
140. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult female labor force in Meditor?
a.
40 million
b.
65 million
c.
70 million
d.
100 million
141. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult female unemployment rate in Meditor?
a.
4.8%
b.
5.0%
c.
7.1%
d.
7.7%
142. Refer to Table 28-4. What is the adult female labor-force participation rate in Meditor?
a.
38.1%
b.
61.9%
c.
66.7%
d.
95.2%
Table 28-5
Labor Force Statistics by Age
Suppose people in the adult population in a small country are classified based on their age.
Labor Force Status
less than 55
55 and older
Number employed
400,000
100,000
Number unemployed
25,000
7,000
Number in Population
600,000
200,000
143. Refer to Table 28-5. In the proper order, which age group has the highest unemployment rate and which has the
highest participation rate?
a.
under 55, under 55
b.
under 55, 55 and older
c.
55 and older, under 55
d.
55 and older, 55 and older
144. Refer to Table 28-5. Suppose that the natural rate of unemployment is 5% for those under 55 and 3% for those 55
and older. The cyclical unemployment rate for those under 55 is
a.
0.88% which is greater than the cyclical unemployment rate for those 55 and older.
b.
0.88% which is less than the cyclical unemployment rate for those 55 and older.
c.
-0.83% which is greater than the cyclical unemployment rate for those 55 and older.
d.
-0.83% which is less than the cyclical unemployment rate for those 55 and older.
145. The deviation of unemployment from its natural rate is called
a.
the normal rate of unemployment.
b.
deviant unemployment.
c.
cyclical unemployment.
d.
fluctuating unemployment.
146. If the natural rate of unemployment is 5.2 percent and the actual rate of unemployment is 5.7 percent, then by
definition there is
a.
cyclical unemployment amounting to 0.5 percent of the labor force.
b.
frictional unemployment amounting to 0.5 percent of the labor force.
c.
structural unemployment amounting to 0.5 percent of the labor force.
d.
search unemployment amounting to 0.5 percent of the labor force.
147. Economists at the Congressional Budget Office estimated that for 2015, the U.S. natural rate of unemployment was
a.
2.8%
b.
3,.6%
c.
4.9%
d.
6.2%
148. Since 1960, the natural rate of unemployment in the U.S. has been between
a.
0% and 1%.
b.
5% and 6%.
c.
10% and 12%.
d.
12% and 24%.
149. Which of the following is correct?
a.
In the U.S. the natural rate of unemployment is frequently near 2%.
b.
The natural rate of unemployment fluctuates more than the cyclical rate of unemployment.
c.
The cyclical rate of unemployment is sometimes below the natural rate of unemployment.
d.
None of the above is correct.
Figure 28-1
150. Refer to Figure 28-1. Which of the following correctly identifies lines A and B?
a.
Line A is the unemployment rate, and line B is the natural rate of unemployment.
b.
Line A is the labor force participation rate, and line B is the adult population.
c.
Line A is the employment rate, and line B is the adult population.
d.
Line A is the labor force participation rate, and line B is the unemployment rate.
151. Refer to Figure 28-2. What do the two lines in the figure measure?
a.
The top line is the labor force participation rate, and the bottom line is the unemployment rate.
b.
The top line is the labor force participation rates of the college-educated population, and bottom line is the
labor force participation rates of the high-school-educated population.
c.
The top line is the foreign labor force participation rate, and the bottom line is the domestic labor force
participation rate.
d.
The top line is the labor force participation rates of men, and the bottom line is the labor force participation
rates of women.
152. Which of the following is not a commonly-cited explanation for the dramatically increasing labor-force participation
rates for women from 1950 to the present?
a.
availability of reliable birth control
b.
invention of household labor-saving devices such as dishwashers and microwave ovens
c.
an increasing number of women who work to support their parents
d.
changing social attitudes about working mothers
153. Which of the following is not a commonly-cited explanation for the decreasing labor-force participation rates for
men from 1950 to the present?
a.
availability of reliable birth control
b.
men acquiring additional years of schooling before entering the labor force
c.
a preference for men to retire when younger
d.
changing social attitudes about stay-at-home fathers
154. Which of the following is a cause of the changing role of women in American society over the past several decades?
a.
new technologies that have reduced the amount of time required to complete routine household tasks
b.
improved birth control
c.
changing political and social attitudes
d.
All of the above are correct.
155. Just after World War II, the labor-force participation rate of women was
a.
about 25 percent, and in 2015 it was about 50 percent.
b.
about 33 percent, and in 2015 it was about 60 percent.
c.
about 50 percent, and in 2015 it was about 70 percent.
d.
about 60 percent, and in 2015 it was about 80 percent.
156. Over the past several decades, the difference between the labor-force participation rates of men and women in the
U.S. has
a.
gradually increased.
b.
remained constant.
c.
gradually decreased.
d.
been eliminated.
157. Over the past several decades in the United States, the labor-force participation rate of women has
a.
increased, and the labor-force participation rate of men has increased.
b.
increased, and the labor-force participation rate of men has decreased.
c.
decreased, and the labor-force participation rate of men has increased.
d.
decreased, and the labor-force participation rate of men has decreased.
158. Which of the following is not a cause of the decline in the U.S. men’s labor-force participation rate over the past
several decades?
a.
young men now stay in school longer than their fathers and grandfathers did
b.
older men now retire earlier and live longer
c.
with more women employed, there are fewer jobs now available to men
d.
more fathers now stay at home to raise their children
159. Just after World War II, the labor-force participation rate of men was
a.
about 33 percent, and in 2015, it was about 50 percent.
b.
about 50 percent, and in 2015, it was about 60 percent.
c.
about 60 percent, and in 2015, it was about 60 percent.
d.
about 90 percent, and in 2015, it was about 70 percent.
160. Spells of unemployment end about
a.
1/5 of the time with the person leaving the labor force.
b.
1/4 of the time with the person leaving the labor force.
c.
1/3 of the time with the person leaving the labor force.
d.
1/2 of the time with the person leaving the labor force.
161. A person who is not employed and claims to be trying hard to find a job but really is not trying hard to find a job is
a.
counted as out of the labor force but should be counted as unemployed.
b.
counted as unemployed but should be counted as out of the labor force.
c.
correctly counted as out of the labor force.
d.
correctly counted as unemployed.
162. Suppose that some people are counted as unemployed when, to maintain unemployment compensation, they search
for work only at places where they are unlikely to be hired. If these individuals were counted as out of the labor force
instead of as unemployed, then
a.
both the unemployment rate and labor-force participation rate would be higher.
b.
both the unemployment rate and labor-force participation rate would be lower.
c.
the unemployment rate would be lower, and the labor-force participation rate would be higher.
d.
the unemployment rate would be higher, and the labor-force participation rate would be lower.
163. Suppose that some people report themselves as unemployed when, in fact, they are working in the underground
economy. If these persons were counted as employed, then
a.
both the unemployment rate and labor-force participation rate would be higher.
b.
both the unemployment rate and labor-force participation rate would be lower.
c.
the unemployment rate would be higher, and the labor-force participation rate would be higher.
d.
the unemployment rate would be lower, and the labor-force participation rate would be unaffected.
164. Some people who are employed or who are not making serious effort to find employment will report themselves as
unemployed. Some people who want to find work will be counted as out of the labor force.
a.
Both the first and the second fact tend to make the reported unemployment rate lower than otherwise.
b.
Both the first and the second fact tend to make the reported unemployment rate higher than otherwise.
c.
The first fact tends to make the reported unemployment rate higher than otherwise, while the second fact tends
to make the reported unemployment rate lower than otherwise.
d.
The first fact tends to make the reported unemployment rate lower than otherwise, while the second fact tends
to make the reported unemployment rate higher than otherwise.
165. Some persons are counted as out of the labor force because they have made no serious or recent effort to look for
work. However, some of these individuals may want to work even though they are too discouraged to make a serious
effort to look for work. If these individuals were counted as unemployed instead of out of the labor force, then
a.
both the unemployment rate and labor-force participation rate would be higher.
b.
the unemployment rate would be higher ,and the labor-force participation rate would be lower.
c.
the unemployment rate would be lower, and the labor-force participation rate would be higher.
d.
both the unemployment rate and labor-force participation rate would be lower.
166. Discouraged workers are included in
a.
the number of unemployed.
b.
frictional unemployment.
c.
the labor force.
d.
None of the above is correct.
167. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts discouraged workers as
a.
employed. Including them as employed makes the unemployment rate lower than otherwise.
b.
unemployed. Including them as unemployed makes the unemployment rate higher than otherwise.
c.
out of the labor force. If they were counted as unemployed the unemployment rate would be higher.
d.
None of the above is correct.
168. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies people who would like to work but have given up looking for a job as
a.
unemployed. If they were classified as out of the labor force, the reported unemployment rate would be larger.
b.
unemployed. If they were classified as out of the labor force, the reported unemployment rate would be
smaller.
c.
out of the labor force. If they were classified as unemployed, the reported unemployment rate would be larger.
d.
out of the labor force. If they were classified as unemployed, the reported unemployment rate would be
smaller.