Natural rate of unemployment

[A18]

Anyone know what the latest estimate is?

[Beet]

What do you mean by 'natural'?

Here is the CBO's estimate of the NAIRU:
http://www.economagic.com/em-cgi/data.exe/cbo/nairu

[opebo]

That which maximizes the take of the owners, obviously.

[bgwah]

Isn't it generally assumed to be about 5%?

[phk]

What do you mean by 'natural'?

Here is the CBO's estimate of the NAIRU:
http://www.economagic.com/em-cgi/data.exe/cbo/nairu

Kind of like a point as to which unemployment will not fall under naturally (like due to frictional unemployment).

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

About 5%. Even after the economic Crashes in the 19th century like 1893 the rate returned to 5% or  by 1900 or 1901.

[k-onmmunist]

About 5%. Even after the economic Crashes in the 19th century like 1893 the rate returned to 5% or  by 1900 or 1901.

I don't believe there is a natural rate. The economy is constantly tempered by growth and recession. Therefore, there is no technical 'natural rate', though anything over 10% is obviously rather disastrous and unhealthy for an economy.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

There is no such thing as "natural rate of unemployment." Perhaps a better descriptor would be "government-induced rate of unemployment."

[Bo]

Isn't it generally assumed to be about 5%?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

3%, assuming a honest counting

[Bo]

3%, assuming a honest counting

What do you mean by honest counting?

[jokerman]

There is no such thing as "natural rate of unemployment." Perhaps a better descriptor would be "government-induced rate of unemployment."

I'm assuming you're referring to labor regulations like the minimum-wage, hiring and firing restrictions, etc..  As there are numerous third-world nations with no such labor laws, please point out the ones that lack this "government-induced" level of unemployment.