Final answer:
Among the described individuals, Jeremy and Fred would be considered officially unemployed. They are both actively seeking work and are without jobs. Amy, Sue, and Bill are not in the labor market and thus not officially unemployed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many individuals are officially unemployed from the descriptions provided, we need to understand unemployment criteria. Officially unemployed individuals are those who do not have a job, are available for work, and have been actively seeking employment in the recent past.
Considering this definition, Amy, the high school sophomore, is not in the labor force as she is a student and not actively seeking employment. Sue, the stay-at-home parent, is also not counted as unemployed because she is not actively seeking employment. Bill, the retiree, is not unemployed; he is out of the labor market. Therefore, the only individuals who can be considered officially unemployed are Jeremy, who has been on interviews but has not received a job offer, and Fred, who was let go due to downsizing.
A youth's entry into the workforce tends to be characterized by frictional unemployment, with younger and elderly workers having different unemployment rates. Jeremy and Fred are feeling the pressure to find employment. Middle-aged workers often feel a stronger need to maintain employment, which reduces their unemployment rates, but this doesn't apply to the individuals in question here. Overall, the youth and elderly face different challenges with unemployment due to the natural process of job matching and retirement decisions, respectively.