What are the 4 types of unemployment?

(File: Getty)

Want to see more of NewsNation? Get 24/7 fact-based news coverage with the NewsNation app or add NewsNation as a preferred source on Google!

(NewsNation) — Unemployment can be voluntary, like when you leave one job for a higher-paying one, or it can be involuntary, when you’re fired or laid off.

There are four subcategories of unemployment: frictional, cyclical, structural and institutional.

  • Frictional unemployment: Short-lived; when people voluntarily leave jobs or recent graduates looking to enter the workforce
  • Cyclical unemployment: Fluctuates during recessionary and economic growth periods.
  • Structural unemployment: Long-term; results from a technological change in the structure of the economy and displaced workers.
  • Institutional unemployment: Long-term or permanent; results from long-term institutional factors, such as government policies like minimum wage.
Your Money

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20260112181412