Question

The employment status (employed or unemployed) of each individual in the U.S. workforce is a set of data that is of interest to economists, businesspeople, and sociologists. To obtain information about the employment status of the workforce, the U.S. Bureau of the Census conducts what is known as the Current Population Survey. Each month interviewers visit about 59,000 of the 98 million households in the United States and question the occupants over 14 years of age about their employment status. Their responses enable the Bureau of the Census to estimate the percentage of people in the labor force who are unemployed (the unemployment rate).

Answer 1

Question Completion:

(a) Identify the experimental unit.

(b) Define the population of interest to the Census Bureau.

(c) Identify the sample.

(d) What variable is being measured? Is it quantitative or qualitative?

(e) Describe the statistical inference that the economists intend to make.

Answer:

a. The experimental unit is the households visited.

b. The population of interest to the Census Bureau is all US-based individuals aged 14 and above.

c. The sample is 59,000 households.

d. The variable under measure is quantitative (percentage estimate of people in the labor force who are unemployed).

e. The economists want to make a statistical inference of the unemployed population based on the sample data analysis that they conduct.

Explanation:

a) Data and Calculation:

Population of interest = 98 million households

Sample from population = 59,000 households

b) The unemployment rate is the percentage of the total workforce of a country that is unemployed and who may be actively seeking employment at a particular period. This implies that the unemployment rate may include persons who are active members of the workforce but may be underemployed.