Each month, usually on the first Friday of the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the Employment Situation Summary for the previous month.

Go to U.S. Bureau of labor statsand find the latest report. On the Bureau of Labor Statistics home page, at the top of the page, select the "Subjects" tab, find "Unemployment," and select "National Unemployment Rate." You will find the Employment Situation Summary under "CPS News Releases" on the left-hand side of the page.

Answer the following questions in essay format:

1. How does the most current unemployment rate you can find compare to the rate 10 AND 5 years earlier ? Use the most recent data available.

2. How would you be counted in the employment figures?

3. Research and decide if we are having structural, frictional, or cyclical unemployment. Be sure to support your position with data.

4. How does the minimum wage affect employment rates? Is raising it a good idea given the data?