Format of the Project:
The paper should be written in APA style Research Paper format.
Note that Use of APA Citation Methodology is required for all parts of the assignment
Written projects must be:
- Typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, with margins no wider than one inch
- Have footnotes or end notes, with correct citations
- Have a bibliography of sources used
- Include, for each entry, the author, title, city and state of publisher, publisher’s name, year, and page numbers
DATA EXERCISE
Consists of three parts
Part 1: The Unemployment Rate
Complete the following exercise
Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web Site http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm . Select Employment Situation Summary.
Write a report (1 – 2 pages double spaced) in your own words to answer the questions:
- What month (and year) is summarized? What was the unemployment rate for that month? How does that rate compare with the rate in the previous month?
- What were the unemployment rates for adult women, teenagers, blacks, Hispanics, and whites? How did these rates compare with those a month earlier?
- What factors make it difficult to determine the unemployment rate?
- Why is unemployment an economic problem?
- What are the noneconomic effects of unemployment?
- Who loses from unemployment?
- Please analyze and discuss the significance of the data that you received for this Data exercise. Reflect on what you have learned from this exercise.
Part 2: The Inflation Rate
Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web Site,
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.toc.htm . Select Consumer Price Index Summary.
Write a report (1 – 2 pages double spaced) in your own words to answer the questions:
- What month (and year) is summarized? What was CPIU for that month?
- What was the rate of inflation (percentage change in the CPIU) for the month? How does that rate of inflation compare with the rate in the previous month?
- Which two categories of goods or services had the greatest price increase for the month?
- Which two categories of goods or services had the lowest price increase (or greatest price decrease) for the month?
- Who loses from inflation?
- Who benefits from inflation?
- Analyze and discuss the significance of the data that you received for this Data exercise. Reflect on what you have learned from this exercise.
Part 3: Unemployment Data by Labor Force Groups and Duration
Write a report (1 – 2 pages double-spaced) in your own words about the tables and graphs 1-3 (see below).
In this paper consider, but do not be limited to the following:
- Which years had the highest and lowest unemployment rates? How do the rates compare among these groups?
- Compare the unemployment rates by educational attainment. How do the rates compare among these groups? What relationship, if any, do you find?
- Compare the distribution of unemployment by duration over these years. Which years had the highest and lowest unemployment duration? What relationship, if any, do you find?
- Demographic studies show that the proportion of teenagers and minorities in the U.S. population is likely to increase in the near future. In your opinion, what implications, if any, will this trend have on the natural rate of unemployment?
- Please analyze and discuss the significance of the data that you received for this Data exercise. Reflect on what you have learned from this exercise.
Table 1. Civilian unemployment rate by sex and age, 2000-2018 (Unemployed as percent of civilian labor force in group specified)
Year | By sex and age | ||
Men 20 years and over | Women 20 years and over | Both sexes 16–19 | |
2000 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 13.1 |
2001 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 14.7 |
2002 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 16.5 |
2003 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 16.5 |
2004 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 17.0 |
2005 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 16.6 |
2006 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 15.4 |
2007 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 15.7 |
2008 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 18.7 |
2009 | 9.6 | 7.5 | 24.3 |
2010 | 9.8 | 8.0 | 25.9 |
2011 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 24.4 |
2012 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 24.0 |
2013 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 22.9 |
2014 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 19.6 |
2015 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 16.9 |
2016 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 15.7 |
2017 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 14.0 |
2018 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 12.9 |
Table 2. Civilian unemployment rate by education attainment (25 years & over), 2000-2018 (Unemployed as percent of civilian labor force in group specified)
Year | By educational attainment (25 years & over) | |||
Less than a high school diploma | High school graduates, no college | Some college or associate degree | Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 | |
2000 | 6.3 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.7 |
2001 | 7.2 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 2.3 |
2002 | 8.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 2.9 |
2003 | 8.8 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 3.1 |
2004 | 8.5 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 2.7 |
2005 | 7.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
2006 | 6.8 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 2.0 |
2007 | 7.1 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 2.0 |
2008 | 9.0 | 5.7 | 4.6 | 2.6 |
2009 | 14.6 | 9.7 | 8.0 | 4.6 |
2010 | 14.9 | 10.3 | 8.4 | 4.7 |
2011 | 14.1 | 9.4 | 8.0 | 4.3 |
2012 | 12.4 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 4.0 |
2013 | 11.0 | 7.5 | 6.4 | 3.7 |
2014 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 3.2 |
2015 | 8.0 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 2.6 |
2016 | 7.4 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 2.5 |
2017 | 6.5 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 2.3 |
2018 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
Table 3. Unemployment by duration, 2000–2018 (Thousands of persons)
Year | Unemployment | Duration of unemployment | ||||||
Less than 5 weeks | 5–14 weeks | 15–26 weeks | 27 weeks and over | Average (mean) duration (weeks) | Median duration (weeks) | |||
2000 | 5,692 | 2,558 | 1,815 | 669 | 649 | 12.6 | 5.9 | |
2001 | 6,801 | 2,853 | 2,196 | 951 | 801 | 13.1 | 6.8 | |
2002 | 8,378 | 2,893 | 2,580 | 1,369 | 1,535 | 16.6 | 9.1 | |
2003 | 8,774 | 2,785 | 2,612 | 1,442 | 1,936 | 19.2 | 10.1 | |
2004 | 8,149 | 2,696 | 2,382 | 1,293 | 1,779 | 19.6 | 9.8 | |
2005 | 7,591 | 2,667 | 2,304 | 1,130 | 1,490 | 18.4 | 8.9 | |
2006 | 7,001 | 2,614 | 2,121 | 1,031 | 1,235 | 16.8 | 8.3 | |
2007 | 7,078 | 2,542 | 2,232 | 1,061 | 1,243 | 16.8 | 8.5 | |
2008 | 8,924 | 2,932 | 2,804 | 1,427 | 1,761 | 17.9 | 9.4 | |
2009 | 14,265 | 3,165 | 3,828 | 2,775 | 4,496 | 24.4 | 15.1 | |
2010 | 14,825 | 2,771 | 3,267 | 2,371 | 6,415 | 33.0 | 21.4 | |
2011 | 13,747 | 2,677 | 2,993 | 2,061 | 6,016 | 39.3 | 21.4 | |
2012 | 12,506 | 2,644 | 2,866 | 1,859 | 5,136 | 39.4 | 19.3 | |
2013 | 11,460 | 2,584 | 2,759 | 1,807 | 4,310 | 36.5 | 17.0 | |
2014 | 9,617 | 2,471 | 2,432 | 1,497 | 3,218 | 33.7 | 14.0 | |
2015 | 8,296 | 2,399 | 2,302 | 1,267 | 2,328 | 29.2 | 11.6 | |
2016 | 7,751 | 2,362 | 2,226 | 1,158 | 2,005 | 27.5 | 10.6 | |
2017 | 6,982 | 2,270 | 2,008 | 1,017 | 1,687 | 25.0 | 10.0 | |
2018 | 6,314 | 2,170 | 1,876 | 917 | 1,350 | 22.7 | 9.3 |