The strong rise in the U.S. stock market since the spring and the return to positive economic growth in the third quarter of this year have created a consensus among economists that the Great Recession is very likely over. Unfortunately, the end of the official recession will have little visible...

In 1982, the United States experienced the highest annual unemployment rate since the Great Depression – 9.7 percent. In principle, that rate is directly comparable to the 8.1 percent seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February 2009, and suggests that current unemployment is still not...

This report debunks the myth that labor market protections, such as unions and unemployment benefits, are responsible for high European unemployment rates.

This report shows that Europe's welfare states have nearly closed the employment gap with respect to the United States for workers aged 25 to 54 years old.

This report examines one major source of bias in the yearly Current Population Survey -- nonresponse rates. It shows evidence of systematic undercounting due to the disproportionately high nonresponse rate from individuals who are less likely to be employed than the general population.

This report uses the past three recessions of the early 1980s, early 1990s and early 2000s to project the effects of a recession in 2008. The report finds that such a recession would result in a significant rise in unemployment and the poverty rate along with a significant decrease in the...

This report shows that official estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty and without health insurance may substantially underestimate the true number of poor and uninsured.

The decennial census for 2000 shows a much lower employment rate for U.S. adults than the Current Population Surveys (CPS) does. This paper corrects the data from the decennial census for reporting error and still finds a substantially lower employment rate, especially among young blacks and...

This report presents several proposals designed to address the nation’s current economic slowdown. To blunt the effects of this downturn and provide immediate relief, the authors suggest a second stimulus package. Proposals for the package include an expanded tax credit for homes and...

This paper provides a critical view of the cross country literature on the impact of labour market institutions and policies on the evolving pattern of unemployment in OECD countries. Such widely used indicators as the generosity of unemployment insurance or the strength of trade unions are...