Focus on Employment Changes Across Educational Attainment Groups

This assignment provides instructions on building the graph below and includes writing prompts for out-of-class assignments.

Using GeoFRED® to Compare Educational Attainment and Unemployment Rates

This assignment provides instructions on creating the maps below and suggests prompts for in-class discussion. See how you do on our sample discussion question below.

Click on the map above to view an interactive version.

Again, click on the map above to view an interactive version
Question: Compare both maps. What differences or similarities do you see between educational attainment and unemployment across geographical areas in the U.S.?

Learning About the Economics of Education to Forecast Changes in Payroll Employment

In December 2020, the total number of workers on payrolls decreased. Read on for more details and a list of resources to become a better FREDcast forecaster.

BLS Headline:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 140,000 in December (2020).”

The Economics Daily:

“In 2018, 31 percent of Blacks in the labor force had earned a bachelor’s degree and higher, compared with 16 percent in 1992”
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/rising-educational-attainment-among-blacks-or-african-americans-in-the-labor-force-1992-to-2018.htm

Resources to become a better FREDcast forecaster:

• Page One Economics: “Education, Income, and Wealth“
• Economic Synopses: “Location and the Return to Education“
• Economic Synopses: “The Effects of Education on Health“
• Page One Economics®: “Get an Education, Even if It Means Borrowing“

Quiz Yourself on the Economics of Education

Q1. As of the second quarter of 2020, which population group had the second-highest median weekly income level?

Q2. As of the second quarter of 2020, which population group had the lowest median weekly income level?

Q1. As of November 2020, which population group had the lowest participation rate in the civilian labor force?

Q2. As of November 2020, which population group had the highest participation rate in the civilian labor force?

Q1. Between 2000 and 2020, which population groups had the most constant unemployment rates?

Q2. Between 2000 and 2020, which population groups experienced the largest changes in unemployment rates?

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Focus on Traveled Miles

This assignment provides instructions on building the graph below and includes writing prompts for out-of-class assignments.

Using GeoFRED® to Compare Mean Commuting Time for Workers

This assignment provides instructions on creating the map below and suggests prompts for in-class discussion. See how you do on our sample discussion question below.

Click on the map above to view an interactive version
Question: In 2018, which of these two counties reported longer mean commuting times for workers: Cook County, IL (home to the City of Chicago) or Los Angeles County, CA (home to the City of Los Angeles)?

Learning About the Economics of Travel to Forecast Changes in Gross Domestic Product

Travel and tourism contribute to gross domestic product (GDP). Read on for more details and a list of resources to become a better FREDcast forecaster.

BEA Headline:

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, “The U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2 percent ($427.2 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017.”

Release Highlight:

“Total tourism-related nominal output increased to $1.87 trillion in 2018, a 7.1 percent increase from $1.75 trillion in 2017.”
https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/travel-and-tourism

Resources to become a better FREDcaster:

• Economic Synopses: “The Rise in Chinese Tourism and Its Effects on the Balance of Payments“
• Economic Synopses: “International Travel: Double Trouble“
• Regional Economist: “Working from Home: More Americans Are Telecommuting“
• Page One Economics®: “The Economics of Flying: How Competitive Are the Friendly Skies?“

Quiz Yourself on Different Aspects of the Economics of Travel

The load factor is a measure of use of aircraft capacity.

Q1. As of the fourth quarter of 2019, how full (in percent) were domestic passenger flights?

Q2. Between 2002 and 2019, did domestic passenger flights become more or less crowded?

Q3. Consider the regular ups and downs in the load factor during any given year. In which quarter are domestic passenger flights least crowded?

Q1. Between 1971 and 2019, did the number of miles traveled by road per person constantly increase?

Q2. At its peak in 2005, how many miles did a person, on average, travel by road?

Q1. Between 2000 and 2019, did the number of rail freight carloads and the number of miles traveled by rail by persons change in the same direction?

Q2. How did the number of rail freight carloads and the number of miles traveled by rail by persons change during the 2007-2009 recession?

Now that you’ve aced this quiz, give it to your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.

Focus on the Source of Carbon Dioxide Emissions

This assignment provides instructions on building the graph below and includes writing prompts for out-of-class assignments.

Using GeoFRED® to Compare Emissions Across States

This assignment provides instructions on creating the maps below and suggests prompts for in-class discussion. See how you do on our sample discussion question below.

Click on the map above to view an interactive version

Question: Which state is the second-largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from all sectors?

Click on the map above to view an interactive version

Question: Which state is the second-largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from coal? Briefly describe coal’s contribution to carbon emissions across states. Use Texas and Indiana as examples.

Learning About Environmental Economics to Forecast Changes in Gross Domestic Product

limate change is expected to lower gross domestic product (GDP) growth over time. (Learn more here). For example, environmental degradation will impact outdoor recreation. Read on for more details and a list of resources to become a better FREDcast forecaster.

BEA Headline:

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, “The U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2 percent ($427.2 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017.”

Release Highlight:

“Real gross output, compensation, and employment all grew faster in outdoor recreation than for the economy as a whole.”
https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation

Resources to become a better FREDcaster:

• FRED® Blog: “What fuels air pollution?“
• Economic Synopses: “Measures of Pollution“
• Page One Economics®: “Economics and the Environment“
• Page One Economics®: “How Economics Informs Environmental Policy: A Case Study of Shale Gas and Oil“

Quiz Yourself on Different Aspects of Environmental Economics

Compare the price indexes for plastic products and recyclable plastics.

Q1. Which type of plastics decreased in price between 2012 and 2016?

Q2. Which type of plastics increased in price between 2012 and 2016?

Q3. As of 2019, which type of plastics are relatively cheaper?

Compare the price indexes for paperboard and recycled paperboard.

Q1. Which type of paperboard increased in price at a slower rate between 1983 and 2019?

Q2. Which type of paperboard increased in price at a faster rate between 1983 and 2019?

Q3. As of 2019, which type of paperboard is relatively cheaper?

Q1. As of 2017, what percentage of total carbon dioxide emissions did coal represent?

Q2. As of 2017, what percentage of total carbon dioxide emissions did petroleum represent?

Q3. As of 2017, what percentage of total carbon dioxide emissions did natural gas represent?

Now that you’ve aced this quiz, give it to your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.

Focus on Net Worth Changes after the Great Recession

This assignment provides instructions on building the graph below and includes writing prompts for out-of-class assignments.

Using GeoFRED® to Show the Homeownership Rate

This assignment provides instructions on creating the map below and suggests prompts for in-class discussion. See how you do on our sample discussion question below.

Click on the map above to view an interactive version

Question: Households have many ways of holding wealth, including by owning a home. In which state is the homeownership rate the highest?

Learning About the Economics of Wealth to Forecast Changes in GDP

In the second quarter of 2020, the value of gross domestic product decreased. Read on for more details and a list of resources to become a better FREDcast forecaster.

BEA Headline:

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, “Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 32.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020.”

Release Highlight:

“The decline in second quarter GDP reflected the response to COVID-19, as ‘stay-at-home’ orders issued in March and April were partially lifted in some areas of the country in May and June, and government pandemic assistance payments were distributed to households and businesses.”

https://www.bea.gov/news/2020/gross-domestic-product-2nd-quarter-2020-advance-estimate-and-annual-update

Resources to become a better FREDcaster:

• FRED® Blog: “Net worth losses in early 2020 were larger at the top“
• FRED® Blog: “Who holds what wealth?“
• Economic Synopses: “How Recessions Have Affected Household Net Worth, 1990-2017: “Uneven Experiences by Wealth Quantile“
• Economic Synopses: “Aging and Wealth Inequality“
• Page One Economics®: “Education, Income, and Wealth“

Quiz Yourself on Different Aspects of Wealth

Q1. Between 1980 and 2019, which of the past five recessions had the largest negative impact on U.S. wealth?

Q2. List the dates of three recessions between 1980 and 2019 when all-sectors U.S. wealth did not decrease.

Q1. As of the first quarter of 2020, which population group holds the most wealth in financial assets?

Q2. As of the first quarter of 2020, which population group holds the least wealth in financial assets?

Q1. As of the first quarter of 2020, which population group holds the most wealth in consumer durables?

Q2. As of the first quarter of 2020, which population group holds the least wealth in consumer durables?

Now that you’ve aced this quiz, give it to your students using this dashboard. To customize this dashboard, just click the “Save to My Account” button at the top of the dashboard.