An individual has recently been fired from her job at a cellphone manufacturing plant. Her job consisted of testing cellphone components for defects, but the job has become automated by the company's purchase of industrial robots. She would like to find new work, but she will need to undergo significant training before she has the skill set that employers are looking for. What type of unemployment is this individual experiencing?(1 point)

Question

An individual has recently been fired from her job at a cellphone manufacturing plant. Her job consisted of testing cellphone components for defects, but the job has become automated by the company's purchase of industrial robots. She would like to find new work, but she will need to undergo significant training before she has the skill set that employers are looking for. What type of unemployment is this individual experiencing?(1 point)
Responses

frictional unemployment
frictional unemployment

natural unemployment
natural unemployment

cyclical unemployment
cyclical unemployment

structural unemployment

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The individual is experiencing **structural unemployment**. This type of unemployment occurs when there is a mismatch between the skills that workers have and the skills that employers need, often due to technological changes or shifts in the economy. In this case, the automation of her job means that her previous skills are no longer in demand, requiring her to undergo significant training to be competitive in the job market.