What full employment really means
Why some economists worry when unemployment gets too low
By R.A. | WASHINGTON, DC
IN 1977 America's government gave the Federal Reserve what seems like a straightforward goal: maximum employment. Janet Yellen, the current chairman of the Fed, thinks America is pretty close; at 4.7%, the unemployment rate is quite low by historical standards. But firms continue to hire, and American adults, of whom only about 69% have a job, seem less than maximally employed. Most governments set themselves or their central banks a guideline of full or maximum employment. But what exactly counts as full?
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