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  3. Structural unemployment—the unemployment that remains even at the peak of the economy’s upswings—is caused by an imbalance betwe

Structural unemployment—the unemployment that remains even at the peak of the economy’s upswings—is caused by an imbalance betwe

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问题 Structural unemployment—the unemployment that remains even at the peak of the economy’s upswings—is caused by an imbalance between the types and locations of available employment on the one hand and the qualifications and locations of workers on the other hand. When such an imbalance exists, both labor shortages and unemployment may occur, despite a balance between supply and demand for labor in the economy as a whole.
Because technological change is likely to displace some workers, it is a major factor in producing structural unemployment. While technological advance almost invariably results in shifts in demands for different types of workers, it does not necessarily result in unemployment. Relatively small or gradual changes in demand are likely to cause little unemployment. In the individual firm or even in the labor market as a whole, normal attrition may be sufficient to reduce the size of the work force in the affected occupations. Relatively large or rapid changes, however, can cause serious problems. Workers may lose their jobs and find themselves without the skills necessary to obtain new jobs. Whether this displacement leads to structural unemployment depends on the amount of public and private sector resources devoted to retraining and placing those workers. Workers can be encouraged to move where there are jobs, to reeducate or retrain themselves, or to retire. In addition, other factors affecting structural unemployment, such as capital movement, can be controlled.
Increased structural unemployment, should it occur, makes it difficult for the economy to achieve desired low rates of unemployment along with low rates of inflation. If there is a growing pool of workers who lack the necessary skills for the available jobs, increases in total labor demand will rapidly generate shortages of qualified workers. As the wages of those workers are bid up, labor costs, and thus prices, rise. This phenomenon may be an important factor in the rising trend, observed for the past two decades, of unemployment combined with inflation. Government policy has placed a priority on reducing inflation, but these efforts have nevertheless caused unemployment to increase.
The passage suggests that a potential outcome of higher structural unemployment is
选项 A、increased public spending for social services
B、placement of workers in jobs for which they are not qualified
C、higher wages for those workers who have skills that are in demand
D、an increase in the length of time jobs remain unfilled
E、a shift in the government’s economic policy priorities
答案C
解析 Supporting idea
The third paragraph discusses a potential result of higher structural unemployment: if more workers lack skills that are in demand, there will be shortages of qualified workers. The wages of workers who do have the desired skills will thus rise.
A While higher structural unemployment might result in an increased demand for social services, such as job training and the like, the passage does not suggest that the government would in fact respond by spending more on such services.
B Nothing in the passage indicates that employers would hire workers who lack necessary skills—indeed, the lack of qualified workers is itself a cause of increased structural unemployment.
C Correct. The passage indicates that when growth in demand for workers with certain skills outpaces the growth in the number of workers who possess those skills, the wages of those workers are bid up, resulting in increased pay for the skilled workers.
D The passage does not discuss the length of time that jobs are likely to remain unfilled as structural unemployment increases. The amount of time jobs remain unfilled could remain the same, but the number or type of jobs that go unfilled may change.
E The passage suggests that certain types of public sector spending (presumably spending as a result of government policy) can help control the magnitude of structural unemployment, but the passage does not indicate whether the government is in fact likely to change policy so as to try to control this magnitude. Furthermore, the passage states that government policy has placed a priority on reducing inflation. Yet there is no suggestion that the government is likely to shift away from this priority in the face of higher structural unemployment.
The correct answer is C.
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