Question

What criteria must be met for a person to be characterized as unemployed?

Short answer

A person can be characterized as unemployed if they satisfy three conditions. They must not have a job, they must be ready and available for work, and they must actively be seeking work.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of Unemployment

The term unemployment is defined by the International Labour Organization as a situation where an individual doesn't have a job, is currently available to work and is seeking employment. People who fulfill these conditions are characterized as unemployed. Let's break these criteria down.

Criterion 1: Not having a job

The first criterion for a person to be characterized as unemployed is that they must not have a job. This means that they aren't working for pay or profit, i.e., not engaged in activities in exchange for wages, salary, or other forms of payment.

Criterion 2: Available to work

The second criterion is that the person should be available for work. The person should be able to and willing to start working. Factors like illness, disability or other personal circumstances that prevent a person from starting work would mean that this criterion isn't met.

Criterion 3: Actively seeking work

The third criterion is that the person needs to be actively seeking work. This includes tasks set up to obtain a job, such as looking for job vacancies in newspapers or the internet, applying for jobs, attending interviews, or contacting friends or relatives for job leads. This criterion implies that the person is putting in an effort to find a job.