考博试题

According to the household measure, nearly 139m Americans were in work in January, even more than had jobs at the height of the boom in March 2000. By the payroll measure, some 130m were in work—a fall of nearly 2% since employment peaked.

Left-leaning pundits naturally prefer the payroll survey. The Bush administration and its friends prefer the household version. Still, even the latter’s figures would make job growth in the current economy recovery anaemic by historical standards.

Concerns over employment data are not just an American problem. According to a recent report from Barclays Capital, Germany’s employment statistics may be overstating the numbers of self-employed because of a government initiative to subsidise previously unemployed workers in starting their own business. Combined with other shenanigans, this may produce an army of “hidden unemployed” of 1.4m, estimates the report, some 30% more than the number of officially unemployed.

61. The author implies that the fall of the unemployment rate

[A] promises greater chances for George Bush to win the election.

[B]may well convince the voters that the economy is booming.

[C] does not necessarily reflect that the economy is becoming healthier.

[D] the “natural rate” of unemployment is likely to be attained soon.

62. The major flaw in the unemployment rate statistic is that

[A] the statistic is based on unclear definition.

[B]the statistic relies on subjective surveys.

[C] the statistic is calculated in a wrong way.

[D] the statistic is not convincing to economists.

63. The author thinks that the statistics about how many people are employed are

[A] better indicators of economic health.

[B]less doubtful than the unemployment statistic.

[C] inconsistent and imprecise.

[D] objective and widely used.

64. It can be inferred that the Bush administration prefer the household survey because