Final answer:
Mary, who is waiting for her new job to start next month, would likely be counted as unemployed in official statistics because she is currently without a job, available to work, and has probably been actively looking for work.
Step-by-step explanation:
In official statistics, someone like Mary, who is waiting for her new job to start next month, would likely be counted as unemployed. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, to be classified as unemployed, an individual must meet three conditions:
- Be without a job
- Be currently available to work
- Be actively looking for work in the previous four weeks
If we consider that Mary is not currently working but is waiting to start her new job, it can be inferred that she was likely looking for work within the past four weeks and is available to work, fitting the criteria for being counted as unemployed.
On the other hand, Karen, who worked only 35 hours last week, would not be considered unemployed because she is employed part-time. Shasta, who neither has a job nor is looking for one, would be counted as out of the labor force, not unemployed. Therefore, the correct option is that Mary would be counted as unemployed according to official statistics.