Recently in Extra Credit Category

Here is your final extra credit question based on today's news.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their April employment report.  Answer these questions based on the report.  (1 point each for 3 possible extra credit points)

1.  What happened to the unemployment rate in April, and how many net new jobs were created in April?

2.  The answer to #1 may seem confusing to people who do not understand the definition of unemployment you learned in class.  Why?

3.  What was the labor force participation rate in April, and how did that compare to what it was in March?

Here is an extra credit opportunity.

Find a news article on the current employment situation in the U.S. and write a critical analysis/summary of the article.

The length of your summary should be about 1 page typed double-spaced (2 pages if hand written).  In your summary, you need to identify the main point of the article (i.e. the thesis) and then analyze the content in light of the textbook's presentation of the labor market.

Things to consider:

Does the article address cyclical or structural unemployment (or both)?
Does the article address policies designed to tackle the problem (e.g. extending the time limit on unemployment insurance)?
Does the article address issues related to skills or training?

There are many other questions that you could consider.  Do not limit yourself to these.  Base your specific approach on the article you choose.  Every one will be a little different.

This will be worth 5 points and is due April 6.