Federal Reserve Bank
FRED in the Classroom: Employment and the Labor Force
Acquaint your class members with data sources for employment in the United States and help them gain a better understanding of a vital measure of our economy's health.
Federal Reserve Bank
Why Scarce Resources Are Sometimes Unemployed
Why do markets operate inefficiently when the world's resources are so limited? Review the various types of unemployment that exist and why some resources, especially human resources, go unused.
Curated OER
Cbc.ca: Hard Times Canadians Suffer
During the Great Depression, Canada was one of the very hardest hit countries.An overview is given of the fall of the stock market, unemployment, economic crisis, Dust Bowl years.
Curated OER
History Matters: Laissez Faire for Depression Woes
Read this transcript of the testimony of Yale Professer William Graham Sumner speaking before a committee of the House of Representatives in 1878. His contention was that even with the thread of depression, it was in business' best...
Curated OER
History Matters: Keep Off the Grass!: Coxey's Army Invades the Nation's Capital
Read the speech that Jacob S. Coxey planned to give at the U.S. Capitol in 1894, but was prohibited from doing so after being arrested for walking on the grass. He wanted to address the issue of the harm the depression of 1893 was causing.
Curated OER
History Matters: Deaf and Unemployed in Dubuque
Read this poignant interview, transcribed by a WPA worker, in which a deaf couple describes the hardships they encountered during the Great Depression, compounded because of their disability.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Dust Bowl Days
Seven-instructional activity collection of lessons and suggested activities for instructing early learners about the Dust Bowl using a variety of primary sources (songs, letters, photos, etc.).
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Overview of Bls Statistics on Unemployment
The United States Department of Labor provides comprehensive statistics on everything related to unemployment at the state, national, and international levels. Data is available for past years as well.
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: How the Government Measures Unemployment
A detailed publication that explains how the government decides who is counted as unemployed and how they measure unemployment.
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics
Provides historical unemployment data for state and metropolitan areas of the United States.
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Bls Handbook of Methods
"BLS Handbook Of Methods," from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Presents detailed explanations of how the Bureau of Labor Statistics obtains and prepares the economic data it publishes.
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics
Compares occupations in terms of numbers employed, projected employment growth, earnings, education and training requirements, opportunities for self-employment and part-time work, and unemployment rate.
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics:labor Force Statistics From Current Population Survey
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides a comprehensive body of data on the labor force, employment, unemployment, and...
![Bureau of Labor Statistics: Compensation From Before Wwi Through Great Depression [Pdf] Handout](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Bureau of Labor Statistics: Compensation From Before Wwi Through Great Depression [Pdf] Handout")
US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Compensation From Before Wwi Through Great Depression [Pdf]
This interesting article from the Bureau of Labor Statistics discusses how working conditions and low pay prior to World War I led to the increase in union membership. Read how the government viewed labor and labor unions during World...
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Undercutting Unemployment
Unemployment is a complex subject. This comprehensive set of lesson plans and news reports will help students understand the many economic and political forces that impact on the unemployment rate, and to critically analyze differences...
Social Science Education Consortium
Ssec: Employment Unemployment: How Can Both Rates Rise at the Same Time? [Pdf]
In this investigation, learners are asked to explain a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) announcement about unemployment, and look for a contradiction in the message. Then they are introduced to the definitions of employment, unemployment, and...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Mac Arthur: The Bonus March (May July, 1932)
As part of the American Experience film on General MacArthur, this article explains the plight of the World War I veterans who marched on Washington in 1932 to claim their war bonus--which they needed due to the Great Depression--only to...
Other
Austin Community College: The Crash & Early Depression
"The Crash and Early Depression" by historian L. Patrick Hughes looks at the reasons for the stock market crash of 1929, the political response, and the scope and severity of the Great Depression.
Other
Economagic: u.s. State Civilian Labor Force Data
This site allows you to browse unemployment rates, unemployment levels, employment levels, and civilian labor force data by state.
Council of Foreign Relations
Terrorism Questions and Answers: Economics
Part of an extensive website from the Council on Foreign Relations devoted to understanding all aspects of terrorism and its implications for the United States, this section focuses on the economic impact of the September 11, 2001...
US Census Bureau
U.s. Census Bureau: Labor Force Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau's current labor force data is presented here.
Other
U.s. National Debt Clock: Real Time
Presented to you in real time, discover the most accurate snapshot of our country's spending and debt. Numbers include individual debt per citizen, unemployment rates, Medicare spending, and the trade deficit. Watch and compare as the...
Backstory Radio
Back Story Radio: Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment
BackStory Radio episode in which historian Alexander Keysar takes a look at unemployment over the years and discusses with callers to the show how it had shaped our national character and perceptions of joblessness. This is the...
CNN
Cnn: Economists Call It Recession
This site is an article that examines the 2001 recession. Looks to economic research and experts to dissect the economic slow down. Includes a brief history of recessions since WWII and links to related stories.