U.S. Job Seekers Are Taking Longer to Find Work as Hiring Slows

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s central argument about low unemployment figures?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They accurately describe every worker’s employment prospects.
   2. They can obscure severe difficulties experienced by individual job seekers.
   3. They primarily measure the duration of unemployment benefits.
   4. They demonstrate that employers are rapidly expanding recruitment.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They can obscure severe difficulties experienced by individual job seekers.

   Aggregate stability can obscure prolonged searches and serious financial vulnerability.

   Her experience illustrates why a low unemployment rate can conceal serious hardship.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “that broad measure” refer to in the third sentence?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The ratio of applicants to available positions
   2. The number of interviews received by Huff
   3. The national unemployment rate
   4. The duration of Colorado benefits
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The national unemployment rate

   The phrase points back to the national unemployment rate mentioned immediately before.

   The unemployment rate stood at 4.2% in September, but that broad measure offers limited reassurance to people who are still searching.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention one position for every 244 unemployed workers?

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   1. To illustrate intense competition among job seekers
   2. To compare Colorado’s benefits with national figures
   3. To explain why employers use telephone interviews
   4. To establish the monthly cost of health insurance
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To illustrate intense competition among job seekers

   The ratio quantifies how limited the supply of newly added jobs is.

   U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in the latest month cited in the report, equivalent to one new position for every 244 unemployed workers.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred from Smith’s description of applicants?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. He expects an immediate promotion.
   2. He believes competition has become impersonal and overwhelming.
   3. He has stopped applying for positions altogether.
   4. He considers automated messages highly reliable.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   He believes competition has become impersonal and overwhelming.

   The crowded applicant pool contributes to his feeling of being personally invisible.

   He described seeing more than 100 people listed as applicants for a job within two weeks, leaving him feeling like an anonymous entry in a crowded system.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How does the article develop its explanation of labor-market hardship?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. From policy proposals to historical background
   2. From individual anecdotes to international comparisons
   3. From national data to personal cases and household consequences
   4. From interview advice to statistical predictions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   From national data to personal cases and household consequences

   It moves from national indicators to specific experiences and their financial consequences.

   The prolonged search has made Huff’s household budget increasingly difficult to manage.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What contrast is established between the unemployment rate and job seekers’ experiences?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Public statistics appear stable while personal searches remain difficult.
   2. National hiring is accelerating while benefits become more generous.
   3. Applicants receive many interviews while employers reduce vacancies.
   4. Colorado workers fare better than unemployed people elsewhere.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Public statistics appear stable while personal searches remain difficult.

   The statistic appears favorable, whereas applicants encounter scarcity and limited progress.

   A national percentage can appear stable while individual job seekers remain unable to re-enter the workforce.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why is Huff’s situation particularly urgent by the article’s conclusion?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Her husband has recently returned to full-time work.
   2. Her former employer has offered her a new position.
   3. Her benefits may expire before she secures employment.
   4. Her health insurance has become employer-funded.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Her benefits may expire before she secures employment.

   Her financial support will end while her search remains unresolved.

   Colorado provides six months of unemployment benefits, and Huff’s payments are scheduled to end in early December.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.