Principles of Macroeconomics

Name: Principles of Macroeconomics
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Description: Principles of Macroeconomics

Principles of Macroeconomics
PowerPoint Presentations for Principles of Macroeconomics Sixth Canadian Edition by Mankiw/Kneebone/McKenzie Adapted for the Sixth Canadian Edition by Marc Prud’homme University of Ottawa

UNEMPLOYMENT AND ITS NATURAL RATE
Chapter 9 Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND ITS NATURAL RATE
The problem of unemployment is usually divided into two categories: The long-run problem The short-run problem The economy’s natural rate of unemployment refers to the amount of unemployment the economy normally experiences. Cyclical unemployment refers to the year-to-year fluctuations in unemployment around the natural rate. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

IDENTIFYING UNEMPLOYMENT
How is unemployment measured? What problems arise in interpreting the unemployment data? How long does the typical spell of unemployment lasts? Why will there always be unemployed people? Thinkstock Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

How Is Unemployment Measured?
Every month, Statistics Canada (SC) conducts the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Data are collected on: Unemployment Employment Length of workweek Duration of unemployment Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

From the results of the survey, each adult (aged 15 and older) from the survey is either: employed (spent some time in the previous week working at a paid job) unemployed (on temporary layoff or is looking for work) not in the labour force (none of the above, e.g., full-time student, a retiree, homemaker) Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

FIGURE 9.1: The Breakdown of the Population in 2011
Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Once the surveyed individuals are categorized, then SC will compute various statistics. Labour force: the total number of workers, including both the employed and the unemployed Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Active Learning Calculate Labour Force Statistics
Compute the labour force, u-rate, adult population, and labour force participation rate using this data: Adult population of Canada by group (x 1000), Sept. 2013 # of employed # of unemployed 1325.0 not in labour force 9657.2 Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Active Learning Answers Labour force = employed + unemployed = = thousand U-rate = 100 x (unemployed)/(labour force) = 100 x / = 6.9% Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

TABLE 9.1: The Labour-Market Experiences of Various Demographic Groups

FIGURE 9.2: Canadian and Regional Unemployment Rates 1966-2011

Does the Unemployment Rate Measure What We Want It To?
Movements into and out of the labour force are common and complicate the measurement of the amount of unemployment. Because people move into and out of the labour force often, statistics on unemployment can be difficult to interpret. Unemployed people who are not trying hard to find a job. People calling themselves unemployed in order to receive unemployment insurance. People who are officially unemployed but are working “under the table.” Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Does the Unemployment Rate Measure What We Want It To?
Discouraged searchers: individuals who would like to work but have given up looking for a job Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

TABLE 9.2: Alternative Measures of Labour Underutilization

How Long Are the Unemployed without Work?
In 2011, the average spell of unemployment lasted weeks. From Table 9.2 One-third of those suffering through a spell of unemployment are unemployed for a month or less. Three-fifths are unemployed for less than three months. Policy solutions directed toward fixing the unemployment problem should be directed at those suffering prolonged spells of unemployment. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Why Are There Always Some People Unemployed?
There are always workers without jobs, even when the overall economy is doing well. Natural unemployment rate: the rate of unemployment to which the economy tends to return in the long run The natural rate of unemployment in Canada is between 6 percent and 8 percent. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

FIGURE 9.4: Observed and Natural Unemployment Rates, 1966–2011

Figure 9.4 shows that the observed unemployment rate fluctuates around the natural rate. Cyclical unemployment: the deviation of unemployment from its natural rate Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

There are four ways to explain unemployment in the long-run: Frictional unemployment: unemployment that results because it takes time for workers to search for jobs the best suit their tastes and skills Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Structural unemployment: unemployment that results because the number of jobs available in some labour markets is insufficient to provide a job for everyone who wants one This often occurs when wages are set above the level that brings supply and demand into equilibrium. Wage laws Unions Efficiency wages Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Why Some Frictional Unemployment Is Inevitable
Frictional unemployment is often the result of changes in the demand for labour by firms. Frictional unemployment is inevitable simply because the economy is always changing. The process where jobs are created in one industry but destroyed in another leads to higher productivity and higher living standards. The mismatch between available jobs and people seeking employment explains why one in every eight unemployed worker is without a job. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Public Policy and Job Search
Government programs try to facilitate the job search in various ways: Government-run employment agencies Public training programs Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Employment Insurance Employment insurance (ER): a government program that partially protects workers’ incomes when they become unemployed EI may reduce the hardship of unemployment, but the design of the program influences workers’ behaviour in ways that will increase the unemployment rate. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Would an increase in the world price of oil affect the amount of frictional unemployment? Is this unemployment undesirable? What public policies might affect the amount of unemployment caused by this price change? Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

MINIMUM-WAGE LAWS Let’s now examine how structural unemployment results when the number of jobs is insufficient for the number of workers. Let’s first examine how minimum-wage laws effect unemployment. Although minimum-wage laws may not be the most important explanation for structural unemployment, it is nevertheless an important point. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

FIGURE 9.5: Unemployment from a Wage Above the Equilibrium Level

Draw the supply curve and the demand curve for a labour market in which the wages are fixed above the equilibrium level. Show the quantity of labour supplied, the quantity demanded, in the amount of unemployment. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

UNIONS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Union: a worker association that bargains with employers over wages and working conditions As of 2011, 30 percent of all employed workers in Canada belong to unions. damonshuck/Shutterstock Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

The Economics of Unions
Collective bargaining: the process by which unions and firms agree on the terms of employment Strike: the organized withdrawal of labour from a firm by a union Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

The Economics of Unions
When the union raises the wage above the equilibrium level, it raises the quantity of labour supplied and reduces the quantity of labour demanded, resulting in unemployment. Workers who remain employed are better off. Workers who lose their jobs are worse off. It is believed that unions cause conflict between the insiders and the outsiders. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Are Unions Good or Bad for the Economy?
Critics of unions argue that they are merely a type of cartel. Advocates of unions contend that unions are a necessary antidote to the market power of the firms that hire workers. Advocates also claim that unions are important for helping firms respond efficiently to the concerns of workers. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

THE THEORY OF EFFICIENCY WAGES
Efficiency wages: above-equilibrium wages paid by firms in order to increase worker productivity According to this theory, it may be profitable for the firm to keep wages high even if it causes a surplus of labour (or unemployment). Higher wages may increase the efficiency of workers. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Give four explanations for why firms might find it profitable to pay wages above the level that balances quantity of labour supplied and quantity of labour demanded. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Classroom Activity Who Is Unemployed? Classify each of the following individuals in one of the following categories: employed, unemployed, or not in the labour force. Steve worked 40 hours last week in a music supply store. Last week, Elizabeth worked 10 hours as a computer programmer for the National Video Company and attended night classes at the local college. She would prefer a full-time job. Roger lost his job at the R-gone Manufacturing Company. Since then he has been trying to find a job at other local factories. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

Classroom Activity Who Is Unemployed? (continued)
Linda is a homemaker. Last week she was occupied with her normal household chores. She neither held a job nor looked for a job. Scott has a Ph.D. He worked full-time but doesn’t like his job as a dishwasher. He has applied for jobs with three companies and five universities. As soon as he gets an offer, he’ll quit his current job. Mary-Helen has been out of work for a full year. She would take a job if it was offered, but no local companies are hiring. She is not actively searching for work. Copyright © 2014 by Nelson Education Ltd.

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