The Labor Force Civilian Labor Force Total number
The Labor Force
Civilian Labor Force • Total number of people 16 years and older who are either employed or are actively seeking employment.
Who is excluded from civilian labor force? ? • Individuals not able to work (prison, mental institutions, disabled) • Armed forces • Those not looking for a paying job (fulltime students, homemakers)
Blue Collar Workers • Craft workers; manufacturing; non-farm laborers
White Collar Workers • Office workers; sales people; professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers)
Pink Collar Workers • Traditionally, jobs held by women • In recent years, more of these jobs are opening to men as well • Ex - teachers, florists, hairstylists, nurses
Skilled v. Unskilled Workers • Skilled – one who has learned a trade or craft through either vocational school or as an apprentice • Unskilled – those whose jobs require no specialized training • There has been a trend to having semiskilled workers, whose jobs require training in modern technology
Unemployment Rate • Those who are without jobs but are actively looking for employment • GOAL – keep the economy at full employment rate. Best is to have unemployment under 6. 5%
Ways to unemployment harms society • Waste of human resource • Takes away from government income • Reduces purchasing • Reduce standard of power/decrease in sales living • Increases government dependence • Disrupts families • Take away feeling of selfrespect
Types of unemployment • Structural – caused due to technological advances (machine replaces man) • Seasonal – caused by changes in the seasons or weather (construction, baseball, Christmas) • Frictional – temporary unemployment b/c of firings, layoffs, search for new job, retraining • Cyclical – associated with the business cycle…high in recession & low in expansion
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