Which factor commonly contributes to structural unemployment?

• A. Seasonal patterns in demand.
• B. Frequent changes in consumer tastes.
• C. Creative destruction making old skills obsolete.
• D. Short-term layoffs.

Answer: (C)

Structural unemployment happens when there’s a long-lasting mismatch between the skills workers have and the jobs that exist, due to lasting changes in the economy. Creative destruction—innovation and new technologies replacing old methods—creates that persistent gap. When old skills become obsolete, workers may remain unemployed unless they retrain for new roles, which is why this factor best explains structural unemployment.

Seasonal patterns cause unemployment that comes and goes with the seasons, not a persistent skills gap. Frequent changes in consumer tastes shift demand and can cause some frictional or transitional adjustments, but they don’t typically produce a long-lasting mismatch across the whole economy. Short-term layoffs are temporary and tied to cyclical or temporary factors rather than lasting structural changes.