Frictional unemployment occurs due to

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, I will evaluate what frictional unemployment means and then assess each option in that light.
Option a: 'a mismatch between the skills of available workers and the jobs required by firms.' This describes structural unemployment, not frictional. Structural unemployment arises from long-term changes in the economy that create a skills gap or industry shifts, whereas frictional is about short-term job searches. Therefore this option is not correct for frictional unemployment.
Option b: 'a downturn in the business cycle; often referred to as demand-deficient unemployment.' This corresponds to cyclical unemployment, which occurs during economic downturns when insufficient demand reduces hiring. It is not frictional unemployment, which exists even in healthy economies due to job switching and entry/re-entry. Hence this option is incorrect for frictional unemployment.
Option c: 'changes in demand for workers due to weather conditions and other seasonal factors.' This is characteristic of seasonal unemployment, where certain jobs are only available at particular times of the year or seasons. Frictional unemployment is about the job-search period, not predictable seasonal fluctuations. So this option does not describe frictional unemployment.
Option d: 'the normal job search time required by people when changing jobs, initially entering the labour force, or re-entering the labour force.' This precisely captures frictional unemployment: it arises from the ordinary time it takes for individuals to search for and find new employment or to re-enter the workforce after a break. It reflects temporary, transitional unemployment that exists even in a healthy economy.
In summary, options a, b, and c describe other forms of unemployment (structural, cyclical, and seasonal, respectively), while option d correctly identifies frictional unemployment as the normal job-search period during transitions in employment status.

Frictional unemployment occurs due to

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