Cyclical unemployment (周期性失业)

Cyclical unemployment (周期性失业 zhōu qī xìng shī yè) refers to a type of periodic unemployment caused by a downturn in the business cycle. During recessions, the aggregate demand falls, and firms lay off workers to cut costs, causing a rise in cyclical unemployment. Cyclical unemployment is directly related to the macroeconomic situation and is an important focus of economic policy.

Part 1: Breakdown of Words

• “Cyclical” (周期性 zhōu qī xìng) as in “cyclical variation” (周期性变化 zhōuqī xìng biàn huà) and “cyclical downturns” (周期性衰退 zhōu qī xìng shuāi tuì). In this case, “性” (xìng) serves as a suffix, meaning a kind of property of something.
  • “周” (zhōu) as in “around” (周围 zhōu wéi), “anniversary” (周年 zhōu nián), or “careful” (周密 zhōu mì).
  • “期” (qī) as in “expectation” (期望 qī wàng), “date” (日期 rì qī), or “futures” (期货 qī huò). 
  • “性” (xìng) as in “property” (性质 xìng zhì), “disposition/chracter” (性格 xìng gé), or “sex/gender” (性别 xìng bié). 
• “Unemployment” (失业 shī yè) as in “unemplyment rate” (失业率 shī yè lǜ) or “unemployment benefit” (失业救济金 shī yè jiù jì jīn).
  • “失” (shī) as in “loss” (损失 sǔn shī), “failure” (失败 shī bài), or “disappear” (消失 xiāo shī).
  • “业” (yè) as in “profession/work” (职业 zhí yè), “cause/career” (事业 shì yè), or “industry” (产业 chǎn yè).