JEL Cl This study constructs a new data set on unemployment rates in Latin America and the Caribbean and then explores … the determinants of unemployment. We compare different countries, finding that unemployment is influenced by the size of … increases in unemployment over time, finding that they are caused by contractions in aggregate demand. These demand contractions …

This paper asks how well Okun’s Law fits short-run unemployment movements in the United States since 1948 and in twenty … the unemployment rate—varies substantially across countries. This variation is partly explained by idiosyncratic features …