Frictional unemployment occurs due to

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In addressing the question about frictional unemployment, it's helpful to examine what each option represents in the broader context of unemployment types.
Option a: 'a mismatch between the skills of available workers and the jobs required by firms.' This describes structural unemployment, which arises when there is a longer-term mismatch between skills and job needs, not the short-term movement of workers between jobs. It highlights a persistent efficiency issue in the labor market rather than the normal job-search process.
Option b: 'a downturn in the business cycle; often referred to as demand-deficient unemployment.' This corresponds to cyclical unemployment, which is tied to fluctuations in aggregate demand and overall economic activity, typically shrinking during expansions and expanding during recessions. It is not about the typical job-search period individuals go through when changing jobs or entering/re-entering the labor force.
Option c: 'the normal job search time required by people when changing jobs, initially entering the labour force, or re-entering the labour force.' This describes frictional unemployment, which reflects the short-term, voluntary search process as workers move between jobs, enter the labor market for the first time, or re-enter after a break. It emphasizes the natural turnover and mobility in the economy rather than a skill gap or macroeconomic downturn.
Option d: 'changes in demand for workers due to weather conditions and other seasonal factors.' This is characteristic of seasonal unemployment, which follows predictable seasonal patterns within certain industries, rather than the general, indeterminate job-search period focused on friction.
Taken together, the options map to distinct unemployment concepts (structural, cyclical, frictional, seasonal). The option describing the normal job-search period associated with changing jobs or entering/re-entering the labor force aligns with the standard definition of frictional unemployment, while the other choices illustrate different forms of unemployment caused by mismatches, economic cycles, or seasonality.

Frictional unemployment occurs due to

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