Estimations for Unemployment Rate Variations in Business Coincident and Lagging Framework

Published employment statistics do not provide enough information about the relationship of unemployment and economic and business conditions. This study investigates long-run equilibrium relations and short-run adjustment process of unemployment and discouraged unemployment with major price variables in the business coincident and lagging framework. Speed of adjustment from short-run disequilibrium to long-run equilibrium is found to be relatively faster for discouraged unemployment that appears more responsive to changes in most of explanatory variables. Discouraged unemployment is found to reflect reality and suggested to be a more meaningful statistical index.