Unemployment Rate News and Trends
Find the latest news on the unemployment rate
The national unemployment rate is an important indicator of the economy's health. To get the most accurate number, those who are under or over the working age are not figured in the calculations, in addition to those who fall within that range but are not actively seeking work. However, these numbers are still available from the government.The rest of the population is divided into people who are employed, and people who are seeking work but remain unemployed. You can find unemployment rate news and trends through many publications and online sources, and the information may be general or specific to a particular region or industry. Resources for unemployment figures include:
1. Government agencies that provide the national unemployment rate.
2. Industry organizations that provide their own figures.
3. Local news sources that publish local unemployment numbers.
Find national unemployment rate news and trends information
If you want to determine the health of the nation's economy, you can find news and information on the national unemployment rate. This figure represents the average number of people without jobs. You can also find out how many people are actively seeking employment, as opposed to people who cannot choose to have full-time employment, like those under the age of 16 or people who are institutionalized.
Try: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) offers current news on the national unemployment rate through the Current Population Survey. Nobosh also publishes national unemployment rates and related news pieces on the national economy.
Read unemployment rate news for state and local areas
You can also look up local unemployment rates to see how a regional economy measures up against the national numbers. This will help to determine whether a local area is thriving or falling behind the rest of the country when it comes to creating new job opportunities.
Try: The BLS also publishes updated unemployment rates by state for the previous quarter. Many states also offer their own numbers through their departments of labor, as the South Dakota Department of Labor and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services do.
Determine unemployment rates within specific industries
You can also find the unemployment rate within a specific industry by researching information provided by industry organizations or government offices that keep track of unemployment numbers for businesses. These numbers will help to determine the need or lack of jobs in any specific industry.
Try: The Service Employees International Union offers news and trends on the unemployment rate among service employees, including healthcare, education and security professionals. You can check with a professional association or union for figures within an industry; for instance, CENews.com provides economic and unemployment news for the civil engineers.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes updated employment figures every month to include the previous month's layoff and hiring statistics.
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