Use the internet to look up current measures and trends related to both unemployment rates and inflation rates in the U. S. and provide a brief summary of your findings.
a. Research unemployment rates
b. Research inflation rates
c. Summarize findings
a. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current unemployment rate in the United States is 3.7% as of August 2021. This is a significant improvement from the peak of 14.8% in April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are still issues with underemployment and labor force participation rates that may impact the overall economy.
b. As for inflation rates, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. In August 2021, the CPI increased by 5.3% compared to the previous year, marking the highest annual increase since 2008. This increase in inflation has been attributed to a variety of factors, including supply chain disruptions and increased demand for goods and services as the economy recovers from the pandemic.
c. Overall, the current trends for 2024 related to unemployment rates show improvement from the peak of the pandemic, but there are still challenges ahead in terms of underemployment and labor force participation. Inflation rates are also on the rise, with the CPI increasing at its highest rate in over a decade. These trends indicate a complex economic landscape that will require careful monitoring and management in the coming years.