In doing this exercise, students should be aware that the precise names of documents and their location within a website may change over time. 1. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is the primary source of US government data on labor force statistics. These figures are reported monthly in the BLS Economic News Release titled "The Employment Situation." Visit the home page of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls .gov/. Find "The Employment Situation." For all questions, provide answers based on data for the most recent month (seasonally adjusted, if available): a. Using Table A-1, confirm that you understand how to calculate the labor force participation rate and the unemployment rate using the definitions provided at the start of this chapter. Show your work. b. Using Table A-1, find the current unemployment rate. How does it compare to the rate 1 year ago? What are the current rates for women and men over 16 years of age? c. Table A-4 provides current labor force statistics by educational attainment. What patterns do you see, and what might explain them? d. Table A-15 provides statistics on labor force underutilization. What is the current range of estimates of unemployment (lowest to highest)? Which mea- sures do you think are most useful, and why? HOUSEHOLD DATA Table A-1. Employment status of the civilian population by sex and age Numbers in thousands Not seasonally adjusted Employment status sex and age Apt. Ma Apr. 2021 2022 2002 Seasonally adjusted Dec. 2021 Jan Feb Mar Apr 2022 2002 2022 TOTAL Civilan noninstitutional population. 261,103 263,444 26355 261,300 Civilian labor force 160.379 164274 262,130 162294 263.202 263.324 263.444 263.559 163.687 Participation rate... 414 624 620 617 61.9 122 623 164,409 624) 164,046 622 Employed 151,160 158.106 157.901 151259 155975 157,174 157722 158,458 158105 Employment population ratio 579 000 579 595 597 599 60.1 600 Unemployed... 9.220 6.10 5,458 9719 431 6513 6.270 5362 5.341 Unemployment rate 57 28 33 60 33 40 38 3.0 36 Not in labor force... 100.723 90.170 100.110 100.125 99.842 0.516 90.035 99513 Persons who curently want a job. 8.406 5502 5.712 5713 5.704 5.356 5.737 5859 Men, 16 years and over Civilian noninstitutional population. 126.316 128.356 128411 126316 120.355 128.411 Civilian labor force.... 85.112 87,041 5.416 87.377 Participation rate... 674 081 675 623 679 683 68.3 68.0 Employed. 79.305 83.902 0002 82.508 83.518 84.247 4,465 84,000 Employment population ratio. 433 064 65.4 634 451 667 658 65.5 Unemployed 5.146 3506 3.119 1340 2554 2,195 Unemployment rate 60 40 36 62 39 41 38 36 38 Not in labor force 41,204 40347 41371 0.000 41.162 40.729 40.606 41,004 Men, 20 years and over Civilan noninstitutional population 118,000 119.780 118.003 119.412 119,726 119.780 Civilian labor force 82.275 4400 84157 82.902 83.967 84.426 84206 Participation rate. 097 705 703 702 706 Employed. 77M47 1.201 81324 77423 7 80,767 81473 70.5 81,554 704 81.334 Employment population ratio 656 673 473 674 675 G 67.9 Unemployed... 4326 3.202 2.834 1010 2.130 Unemployment rate. 59 38 Not in labor force 35.728 35.323 34 35.623 60 35419 36 35.818 38 35045 2.973 35 2872 2.061 3.4 35 35224 35.300 35.400 Women, 16 years and over Civilian noninstitutional population 134.787 Civilian labor force.... Participation rate 75.368 558 Employed.. 11,196 Employment population rato 528 Unemployed 4073 76,306 56.9 74.200 54.9 2.663 135,148 76,409 134.787 125.304 76.437 565 134306 135,009 135.148 7412 508 74,009 54.8 71367 528 4305 73467 23006 543 2970 546 Unemployment rate. 54 Not in labor force 50.519 35 58223 3.1 54.739 58 50.225 39 SAM 39 58.354 7425 066 73475 544 2.950 29 58404 76,749 76.470 567 73.992 74,017 54.8 548 2757 2403 36 58.340 35 58479 Women, 20 years and over Civilan noninstitutional population 126.648 Civilian labor force.... Participation rate 72.378 571 Employed 68.005 126.401 73946 584 71.555 126749 73418 57.9 71348 126648 126.570 126631 126,601 126749 Employment population ratio 542 143 Unemployed.... 3.773 2.391 2009 72AM 572 68.436 54.0 4000 73456 578 70.796 567 73,494 58.1 73446 58.0 73405 73514 58.2 54.0 73.962 70.775 71.244 73.170 560 569 162 16.2 2440 2.637 2671 2,451 2.344 Unemployment rate. 52 32 Not in labor force 54.271 $2.745 28 53.331 56 36 36 36 33 32 54.363 55712 53.07 53.185 52.306 $3,234 Both sexes, 16 to 19 years Civilan noninstitutional population 16.451 17027 17.000 16451 16443 17.000 17.004 17027 17.000 Civilian labor force.... 5.727 5306 5.874 6.107 5.306 6.226 100 6.288 6.237 Participation ate... 348 348 345 371 36.1 366 358 39 366 Employed... 5.108 5.300 5.319 5.309 5267 5.500 5474 5.000 5.001 Employment population rato 31.1 314 31.2 32.1 326 32.2 33.2 32.9 Unemployed... 618 576 355 706 640 629 636 Unemployment rate Not in labor force 108 10,725 97 95 116 109 109 10.3 10.0 102 11,100 11.156 10.344 10.796 10.904 10,739 10.790 'The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation: therefore identical numbers appear in the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted colum NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January HOUSEHOLD DATA Table A-4. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by educational attainment [Numbers in thousands] Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted Educational attainment Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. 2021 2022 2022 2021 2021 2022 2022 2022 2022 Less than a high school diploma Civilian labor force... 9,039 9,030 9,300 8,993 8,712 8,687 8,962 9,097 9,207 Participation rate... 44.3 45.3 44.9 44.1 44.81 44.5 46.8 45.6 44.4 Employed... 8,205 8,456 8,808 8,152 8,255 8,142 8,574 8,627 8,713 Employment-population ratio. 40.2 42.4 42.5 39.9 42.5 41.7 44.8 43.2 42.0 Unemployed..... 835 574 492 841 457 545 388. 470 4941 Unemployment rate... 9.2 6.4 5.3 9.4 5.2 63 6.3 4.3 5.2 5.4 High school graduates, no college' Civilian labor force.. 34,768. 36,943 36,498 34,809 Participation rate... 55.4 Employed.... 32,451 Employment-population ratio... 51.7 56.9 35,365 54.5 56.8 35,168 55.4 35,828 55.7 37,064 57.2 36,589 56.2 36,847 56.8 32,393 34,188 35,361 34,953 35,368 36,464 56.8 35,064 Unemployed..... 2,317 1,578 54.7 1,330 51.6 2,416 53.1 1,640 54.6 53.7 54.5 54.6 1,703 1,636 1,479 1,401 Unemployment rate... 6.7 4.3 3.6 6.9 4.6 4.6 4.5 4.0 3.8 Some college or associate degree Civilian labor force... 35,627 Participation rate... Employed.... 63.2 33,622 35,600 63.5 34,468 35,628 63.5 Employment-population ratio... 59.7 61.5 34,586 61.7 Unemployed.... 2,005 1,132 1,042 35,610 63.2 33,526 59.5 2,084 35,477 62.7 34,204 35,320 63.1 34,059 35,391 63.6 35,555 63.4 60.4 1,274 60.9 34,060 61.2 34,480 35,540 63.4 34,445 61.5 61.4 1,261 1,331 1,075 1,095 Unemployment rate.. 5.6 3.2 2.9 5.9 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.0 3.1 Bachelor's degree and higher Civilian labor force... 60,786 Participation rate. 72.1 Employed..... 58,757 62,027 73.3 60,855 Employment-population ratio.. Unemployed...... Unemployment rate.. 69.7 2,030 3.3 71.9 1,172 1.9 61,702 72.9 60,579 71.6 60,758 72.1 1,123 1.8 58,614 69.6 2,144 3.5 61,134 72.3 59,860 61,699 72.6 60,294 62,003 72.4 60,656 61,597 72.8 61,705 72.9 60,386 60,459 70.8 70.9 70.9 71.4 71.5 1,274 1,404 1,347 1,211 1,247 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.0 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees. NOTE: Detail for the seasonally adjusted data shown in this table will not necessarily add to totals for those 25 years and over because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. HOUSEHOLD DATA Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization (Percent) Measure Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar, Apr. 2021 2022 2022 2021 2021 2022 2022 2022 2022 U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer. as a percent of the civilian labor force..... U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force... U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)... U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers.. U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force...... U-6 Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force... 12 3.4 1.4 1.4 3.3 1.7 1.5 15 1.5 1.2 1.2 141 3.8 1.8 1.6 3.9 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.7 5.7 3.8 3.3 6.0 3.9 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.6 6.1 3.9 3.6 6.4 4.2 4.2 4.1 3.8 3.9 49 6.8 4.5 9.9 33 4.3 7.1 4.9 4.9 47 4.7 4.4 4.6 6.6 10.3 7.3 7.1 7.2 6.9 7.0 NOTE: Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the past 12 months. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for work. Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data