Trends in the Structure of the Labor Market and Unemployment: Implications for U.S. Unemployment Insurance

Abstract

This report provides a timely review of the internal and external forces of change affecting the U.S. labor force within a global economy and the implications for the U.S. Unemployment Insurance (UI) System. The report explores observed industrial shifts, trends in the U.S. business cycle, changes in the composition of the U.S. labor force, trends in the nature and cost of unemployment, and the current effectiveness of UI, since the program's inception in 1935.