Unemployment

Question 1

Population of working age

Answer 1

Total number of people aged between 16-65

Question 2

Active

Answer 2

Those in work who are actively seeking work

Question 3

Inactive

Answer 3

Those who don’t work and are not seeking work

Question 4

Employed

Answer 4

Those people in paid work

Question 5

Unemployed

Answer 5

Those who are willing and able to work but cannot find a job

Question 6

How do we measure unemployment?

Answer 6

Number of Unemployed/ labour force (%)

Question 7

How do we measure employment?

Answer 7

Number of Unemployed/Population of working age (%)

Question 8

What is the claimant count?

Answer 8

Calculates the number of people who are unemployed by counting the number of people claiming unemployment benefits- (Job seekers allowance)

Question 9

Labour Force Survey (LFS) and International Labour organisation (ILO)

Answer 9

44000 households surveyed every month
Calculates those unemployed by measuring those without a job, but available to work in a fortnight.

Question 10

What is youth unemployment?

Answer 10

Unemployment between the ages of 16-24

Question 10

What is underemployment?

Answer 10

Being in a job that is below your skill level

Question 10

Strengths of the claimant count/LFS

Answer 10

Data can be updated regularly
Data can be broken down
Large sample size used for LFS
Low levels of benefit fraud in the UK - making the claimant count useful

Question 11

Weaknesses of the claimant count/LFS

Answer 11

Sample errors
Hidden Unemployment - black market
doesn’t show underemployment