For today’s three things we will be focusing on the US economy…more specifically we will be focusing on unemployment rate. Today we will take a look at three charts that are provided by one of my favorite podcast, NPR’s Planet Money, to examine current economic trends.

The unemployment rate is always much higher for teenagers and young adults than it is for people age 25 and older. That relationship held true through the recession and beyond. In absolute terms, the jump in unemployment was bigger for the young. But in relative terms, all ages saw comparable increases. The unemployment rate for each group is now down from the peak.

– NPR’s Planet Money

When the recession hit, the unemployment rate for men rose more than the unemployment rate for women. That was driven partly by large cuts in industries where the workforce is mostly men (construction, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing). The gap between men and women is now declining, as some of those jobs are returning.

– NPR’s Planet Money

A similar story to unemployment by age: The unemployment rate is always much higher for those with less education. Those with the least education saw the biggest absolute rise in the unemployment rate, but in relative terms the rise was comparable for each group. The rate for all groups has fallen in the past few months.

– NPR’s Planet Money

Mr. McClung