The goal of this presentation is to help students learn key concepts
related to unemployment through the use of video and audio that
highlights our current economic situation in relation to the Great
Depression. The use of pictures is meant to help students develop
empathy; considering the effects of unemployment on diverse
groups of people in our society. This presentation is to be used as a
learning center. Students should work in cooperative groups to
evaluate the content of this presentation, and then individually
reflect on the importance of being an informed citizen and
understanding economic indicators.
Fall 2009
PA Academic Standards
Language Arts
 Read Critically in All Content Areas


1.2 A – Read and understand essential content of informational texts and
documents in all academic areas.
Research


1.8 B – Locate information using appropriate sources and strategies.
1.8 C – Organize, summarize, and present the main ideas from research.
History
 Historical Analysis and Skills Development

8.1.12 B – Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
Economics
 Economic Systems


6.1.12 C – Assess the strength of the regional, national and/or international
economy and compare it to another time period based upon economic indicators.
6.1.12 D – Describe historical examples of expansion, recession, and depression
internationally.
Imagine being unemployed…
Click Here…
Unemployment during
the Great Depression
Will this be Depression 2.0?
Click the video recorder on the right to view a
video clip about life during the Great Depression.
At that time, American faced incredibly high unemployment.
Many people were homeless, jobless, and hungry.
Activity
• As you view the video, record 3
instances from personal experience
that parallel the situations
highlighted in the video.
• Share your list with your group.
Picture
Analysis
• Click on the paintbrush to the right
to view some historical pictures
from the Great Depression.
• Question: Do you think people
today are facing similar hardship?
How many Americans is unemployment
a reality for today?
Click here to view the
evolution of the
unemployment rate at
the local, national and
global level…
Podcast
3
2
1
3-2-1
• Things you learned
• Things you want to know
more about
• Thing that worries you
Review of basic concepts…
Step
1
Step
2
• Click on the recorder on the right to
view a video about how we measure
unemployment, and the limitations of
the rate.
• Review the following slides to reinforce
how we measure unemployment, who
is considered “unemployed” and the
limitations of the rate.
Measuring Unemployment
Unemployment Rate
 Represents the number unemployed
(jobless) as a percent of the labor force.
Number of persons unemployed
Civilian Labor Force

Calculated by a monthly survey of 50,000
households.
Full Employment versus Unemployment
Full Employment  “jobs for all that want them”
 Not “zero” unemployment…why?
 Some
people are always between jobs
 Some people just do not want to work!
People 16 or older who…
Are
available
for work
Have made a
specific effort to
find a job in the
last 4 weeks
Have worked
<1 hour for
pay in the
past week
OR someone who just got laid off / lost their job.
Limitations of the Rate

Underestimates employment conditions

Does not count ‘discouraged’ workers

Includes those with part-time jobs who could be
“Underemployed”
 Someone who
graduates from MIT with an engineering
degree, but can only find a job as a shelf-stocker at
WALMART would be considered “underemployed.”
Gaps in the Unemployment Rate
Group Think
Exploring Gaps in
the
Unemployment
Rate
• With your group, hypothesize 3
groups of people who may be
misrepresented in the overall
unemployment statistics.
• Example 1
• Wall Street Journal - Video
• Example 2
• New York Times – News Article
Was your group perception of gaps
in unemployment accurate?
Reflective Activity

f
Will the economy stimulate employment?


Click here to view the reaction from the White
House to the August unemployment data.
When you are finished, discuss the essential
question with your group members and then
click here to complete a personal reflection on
today’s activities.
Current Employment Situation
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Month
Year
Unemployment
Rate
Civilian
Labor
Force
Employed
Not
Employed
Not in the
Labor
Force
Aug
2009
9.7
154,577
139,649
14,729
81,509
Jul
2009
9.4
154,504
140,041
14,462
81,366
Jun
2009
9.5
154,926
140,196
14,729
80,729
Sep
6.2
6.6
Nov
6.8
Oct
7.2
Jan
7.6
Dec
8.1
Mar
8.5
Feb
Delaware
County,
June 2009
7.8%
Delaware
County,
June 2008
5.1%
8.9
May
9.4
Apr
…Around the World
4.5%
Austria
7.3%
Belgium
17.4%
Spain
7.4%
Finland
10.6%
Ireland
Unemployment during the
Great Depression…
Large population of unemployed,
in desperate need of work and
looking for jobs.
Across the U.S., the unemployed
stood in the streets; unable to
find jobs and wondering how
they could feed their families.
Will This Be Depression 2.0?
Christmas
Dinner during
the Great
Depression…
Economic
distress affects
people of all
ages, including
people like you…
Homeless family
during the Great
Depression…
• Write a 3-5 sentence summary
detailing what you learned during
today’s activity.
– Why is an understanding of the
health of our nation’s economy
important to you?
– After viewing the multimedia today,
what questions or concerns do you
have about the current economic
situation?
Citations
• Adams, N (Producer). (2009, September 4). August
Unemployment At 26-Year High [Audio Podcast]. All
Things Considered. Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyI
d=112566449&ft=1&f=1006
• Benincasa , R, & Hsu N (2009). Interactive Map: The
Economy Where You Live. NPR, Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyI
d=111494514
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009). Employment
Situation Summary. United States Department of
Labor, Retrieved September 10, 2009 from
http://bls.gov.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009). Frequently Asked
Questions. United States Department of Labor,
Retrieved September 10, 2009 from http://bls.gov.
Citations
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009). Glossary. United
States Department of Labor, Retrieved September 10,
2009 from http://bls.gov.
• Example 2: Percents -- Unemployment Rates.
Discovery Education.
(2007). Retrieved September 10, 2009, from
Discovery Education:
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
• Hilsenrath, Jon (2009, September 4). Men Suffer in
Jobless Figures [Video]. Video posted to
http://online.wsj.com/video/men-suffer-in-joblessfigures/5DE39062-C744-4C37-999313F4CA37187F.html.
• Luo, M (2009, September 7). Faces of the Uncounted
Unemployed [Multimedia Slideshow] from Out of
Work and Too Down to Search On. NYTimes.com,
Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/09/07/us/
0907WORKERS_index.html
Citations
• Quality of Life Deteriorates Across the Country While
Families Fall Apart. Aims Multimedia.
(1984). Retrieved September 10, 2009, from
Discovery Education:
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
• Rampell, C (2009, September 4). Teenage
Unemployment Reaches Record High. NYtimes.com,
Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/business/econ
omy/05teen.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=unemployment%2
0rate&st=cse
• Romer, C (2009, September). White House Reacts to
Jobs Report (CNBC) [Video]. Video posted to
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/09/04/busines
s/1247464397527/white-house-reacts-to-jobs-reportcnbc.html.
• All images retrieved from the Franklin D. Roosevelt
Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records
Administration, http://www.archives.gov/.