• Unemployment occurs when workers who want to work cannot find work.

  • A high unemployment rate signals economic distress, while an extremely low unemployment rate can signal an overheating economy.
  • Unemployment can be classified as frictional, cyclical, structural or institutional.
  • Unemployment data is collected and published by government agencies in a variety of ways.
  • Many governments offer the unemployed a small income through unemployment insurance if they meet certain requirements.