Section 2
Measuring Unemployment
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![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/20644/raw/us-unemployment-measures.jpg)
Measuring the Unemployment Rate
The labor force is the actual number of people available for work; economists use the labor force participation rate to determine the unemployment rate.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/20710/square/unemployment-by-county.jpg.jpg)
Shortcomings of the Measurement
Unemployment is not an absolute calculation and it is prone to errors and biases related to data assembly and inconsistencies in reporting.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/20709/square/e-duration-of-unemployment.jpg)
Typical Lengths of Unemployment
Short-term unemployment is any period of joblessness that lasts fewer than 27 weeks. Long-term unemployment lasts 27 or more weeks.