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  3. Global Economy at Low Ebb Causes American Rate of Unemployment Upswing

Global Economy at Low Ebb Causes American Rate of Unemployment Upswing

游客2023-11-06  9
问题       Global Economy at Low Ebb Causes American Rate of Unemployment Upswing
    For many years, unemployment in the United States was lower than in Western Europe, a fact often cited by people who argued that the flexibility inherent in the American system—it is easier to both hire and fire workers than in many European countries—produced more jobs.
    That is no longer the case. The current economic crisis has turned the case for the US model almost entirely on its head.
    In March, the American unemployment rate stood at 8. 5 percent, the same as the average rate for the first 15 members of the European Union. In April, the rate in the United States rose to 8. 9 percent. When the European figures are compiled, it seems likely that the American rate will be higher for the first time since Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical agency, began publishing unemployment rates in 1993 for the entire European Union and for three countries outside the union, the United States, Japan and Turkey.
    For men, the unemployment rate in the United States surpassed that of the 15 original European union countries in December. By March, it was 9. 5 percent in the United States, compared with just 7. 5 percent for women. The figures for men and women in the 15 European countries, however, are close together, at 8.4 percent and 8.5 percent.
    The March rate for the United States was higher than the rates of 11 of the 15. The exceptions were Portugal, which has the same rate, and Spain, Ireland and France. Eight of the 15 European countries have rates that are lower than three years ago.
    How did that happen during a worldwide recession? First, it appears that the safety nets in many Western European economies made it easier for people to keep their jobs as the economy declined. In Germany, programs allow companies to get government help in paying workers and keeping them employed. If the recession becomes severe enough and long enough, of course, it could turn out that those programs do not so much to avoid the pain as defer it.
    Another factor may be the lack of an economic boom in many European countries, which has left them less vulnerable to recession-related cutbacks.
    There is, and always has been, a large variation in economic performance among Western European countries. Even though workers generally have the right to move between countries in the European Union, doing so presents language and cultural hurdles for many.
    In the United States, there has been more movement of workers from depressed areas to places where the employment outlook is brighter. But the housing crisis appears to be hampering such movement because some workers own homes that are worth far less than the amount they owe on their mortgages. [br] Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?
选项 A、In March the American jobless rate was the same as the average rate of EU countries.
B、In April the American jobless rate will certainly pass the average rate of the 15 original EU members.
C、Unemployment rate for men in the United States Was slightly higher than that for women.
D、Eurostat published unemployment rates for all EU countries.
答案 D
解析 事实细节题。。由第三段第三句可知，欧盟统计署自1993年开始公布欧盟所有国家以及欧盟外三个国家(美国、日本、土耳其)的失业率。故[D]“欧盟统计署公布所有欧盟国家失业率”与文意一致。[A]“三月份美国失业率与欧盟国家平均失业率持平”，这与第三段第一句“美国失业率与最早加入欧盟的15个国家的平均失业率持平”的内容不符，故排除；[B]“四月份美国失业率一定高于最初加入欧盟的15个成员国的平均水平”，这与第三段第三句“但看起来美国失业率有可能自1993年欧盟统计署开始公布有关数据以来首次高出欧盟15国的平均水平”不一致，故排除；[C]“美国男性失业率略高于女性”，这句话与第四段第二句“美国男性失业率为9．5％，而女性失业率仅为7．5％”相悖，故排除。
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