Publication
20 Aug 2010
Although the economy has begun growing again, it may be a while before the unemployment rate shows steady improvement. The unemployment rate is considered a lagging indicator, meaning that its ups and downs happen some time after the ups and downs of other indicators of economic activity. For example, more than a year elapsed before the unemployment rate trended downward following the end of the 1990-1991 and 2001 recessions. This led the two to be labeled jobless recoveries. By contrast, after four earlier recessions the unemployment rate began a sustained decline within four to five months.
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English (PDF, 11 pages, 158 KB) |
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Author | Linda Levine |
Series | US Congressional Research Service Reports |
Publisher | Congressional Research Service (CRS) |