Final Answer:
Roland knows Marnie from their college days when they were in the same economics class.
Step-by-step explanation
Roland's acquaintance with Marnie, the woman at the unemployment office, stems from their shared experience during their college days. They were both enrolled in the same economics class, which formed the initial basis of their connection.
Their encounter dates back to their time at university, where Roland and Marnie were classmates in an economics course. Their shared pursuit of knowledge and interest in the subject sparked conversations and interactions that laid the groundwork for a casual yet familiar relationship.
Despite not being close friends, their interactions in the classroom setting provided a foundation for recognition and a degree of acquaintance. The camaraderie established during those college days seems to have lingered, allowing Roland to recognize Marnie during their chance meeting at the unemployment office.
Their connection through the economics class isn't deeply intimate or extensive, but it signifies a shared past and a common ground that Roland recalls upon seeing Marnie again.