Google
Monday 
July 14, 2025 

AmosWEB means Economics with a Touch of Whimsy!

AmosWEBWEB*pediaGLOSS*aramaECON*worldCLASS*portalQUIZ*tasticPED GuideXtra CrediteTutorA*PLS
ALTERNATIVE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES: The official unemployment rate estimated and reported monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) using data from Current Population Survey is one of six alternative measures of unemployment tracked by the BLS, officially labeled U1-U6. The "official" unemployment rate is U3. The other five measures seek to document different ways in which labor can be underutilized, including unemployment duration, job losers, discouraged workers, marginally-attached workers, and part-time workers.

Visit the GLOSS*arama

Most Viewed (Number) Visit the WEB*pedia

Lesson Contents
Unit 1: Instability
  • Overview
  • Business Cycles
  • Expansionary Good Times
  • Contractionary Bad Times
  • Unit 1 Summary
  • Unit 2: A Simple Cycle
  • Long-Run Trend
  • Contraction
  • Trough
  • Expansion
  • Peak
  • Unit 2 Summary
  • Unit 3: Measurement
  • Indicators
  • Leading
  • Coincident
  • Lagging
  • Unit 3 Summary
  • Unit 4: Causes
  • Complexity
  • Investment
  • The Process
  • Politics
  • The Process
  • Unit 4 Summary
  • Unit 5: Policies
  • Options
  • Expansionary
  • Contractionary
  • Unit 5 Summary
  • Course Home
    Business Cycles

    To purpose of this lesson is to examine the nature and causes of macroeconomic instability, which goes by the handy title business cycles. Business cycles are the recurring expansions and contractions of economic activity that generate the problems of unemployment and inflation. This lesson explores how business cycles can be stabilized with the goal of lessening unemployment and inflation.

    • The notion of business cycles is introduced in the first unit of this lesson, with an eye on what they are and why they are important to study.
    • The four components of a standard, simple business cycle -- expansion, peak, contraction, and trough -- are then presented and discussed in the second unit.
    • The third unit is devoted to several key measures of business cycle activity, especially leading, lagging, and coincident indicators.
    • A couple of the most often discussed causes of business-cycle instability -- investment and politics -- are discussed in the fourth unit.
    • The fifth unit closes out this lesson with an introduction to the expansionary and contractionary economic policies used to stabilize business cycles.

    BEGIN Lesson =>


    <=PREVIOUS Lesson | NEXT Lesson =>

    ECONOMY

    The system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services that a society uses to address the problem of scarcity.

    Complete Entry | Visit the WEB*pedia


    APLS

    GREEN LOGIGUIN
    [What's This?]

    Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time at a flea market trying to buy either looseleaf notebook paper or a three-hole paper punch. Be on the lookout for attractive cable television service repair people.
    Your Complete Scope

    This isn't me! What am I?

    John Maynard Keynes was born the same year Karl Marx died.
    "Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."

    -- Alexander Graham Bell, inventor

    ACBS
    Accrediting Commission for Business Schools
    A PEDestrian's Guide
    Xtra Credit
    Tell us what you think about AmosWEB. Like what you see? Have suggestions for improvements? Let us know. Click the User Feedback link.

    User Feedback



    | AmosWEB | WEB*pedia | GLOSS*arama | ECON*world | CLASS*portal | QUIZ*tastic | PED Guide | Xtra Credit | eTutor | A*PLS |
    | About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Statement |

    Thanks for visiting AmosWEB
    Copyright ©2000-2025 AmosWEB*LLC
    Send comments or questions to: WebMaster