Question

Suppose the world price of cotton falls substantially. The demand for labor among cotton-producing firms in Texas will . The demand for labor among textile-producing firms in South Carolina, for which cotton is an input, will . The temporary unemployment resulting from such sectoral shifts in the economy is best described as unemployment.

Suppose the government wants to reduce this type of unemployment. Which of the following policies would help achieve this goal? Check all that apply.

a. Extending the number of weeks for which unemployed workers are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits from the government
b. Taxing the price of placing a resume or posting a job opening on job-search website
c. Establishing government-run employment agencies to connect unemployed workers to job vacancies

Answer 1

Suppose the world price of cotton falls substantially. The demand for labor among cotton-producing firms in Texas will DECREASE. The demand for labor among textile-producing firms in South Carolina, for which cotton is an input, will INCREASE. The temporary unemployment resulting from such sectoral shifts in the economy is best described as STRUCTURAL unemployment.

Structural unemployment is a non voluntary type of unemployment and it occurs because the skills of the workers are not the ones needed by the employers. In this case, labor that was used for producing cotton in Texas is no longer needed due to shifts in the world price of cotton.

Suppose the government wants to reduce this type of unemployment. Which of the following policies would help achieve this goal? Check all that apply.

• c. Establishing government-run employment agencies to connect unemployed workers to job vacancies