Employment and Unemployment

• What is the difference between the level of employment and the employment rate?

  Level of employment: total number of people employed Employment rate: percentage of the population that is employed
• What is the Claimant Count?

  The number of people who claim unemployment benefits
• What is the Labour Force Survey?

  A survey of a sample of households used to estimate the employment rate. It uses the ILO methods to measure employment.
• What is the labour force?

  All people who are economically active; employed or unemployed
• What does it mean to be unemployed?

  Willing and able to work, but not currently in work
• What is underemployment?

  Underemployment refers to a situation where individuals are employed in jobs that are below their skill level or that do not give them their desired hours.
• What does it mean to be economically inactive?

  People who are not actively seeking to work.
• What is cyclical unemployment?

  A lack of spending in the economy or a recession results i the demand for workers to fall
• What is structural unemployment?

  Industries become obsolete, so there is less demand for workers in these sectors
• What is frictional unemployment?

  People are between jobs
• What is seasonal unemployment?

  People are out of jobs at different times of the year
• What are the reasons for labour immobility?

  • Geographical: Distance between residence and jobs
  • Occupational: A lack of skills
• What is immigration?

  When people enter a country to stay long-term
• What is emigration?

  When people leave a country to stay long-term