The accompanying figure shows the annual rate of growth in employment for the United Kingdom and Japan from 1991 to 2010. (The annual growth rate is the percent change in each year’s employment over the previous year.)

a. Comment on the business cycles of these two economies. Are their business cycles similar or dissimilar?

b. Use the accompanying figure and the figure in the Global Comparison on international business cycles in the chapter to compare the business cycles of each of these two economies with those of the United States and the euro area.