# Context This dataset lists the natural rate of unemployment (NAIRU) in the U.S., which is the rate of unemployment arising from all sources except fluctuations in aggregate demand. Estimates of potential GDP are based on the long-term natural rate. The short-term natural rate incorporates structural factors that are temporarily boosting the natural rate beginning in 2008. The short-term natural rate is used to gauge the amount of current and projected slack in labor markets, which is a key input into CBO's projections of inflation. # Content Data includes the date of the quarterly collection and the natural rate of unemployment from January 1, 1949 through October 1, 2016. # Inspiration * What is the general trend of unemployment? * Can you compare this unemployment data with other factors found in any of the BLS databases, such as manufacturing employment rates and GDP? # Acknowledgement This dataset is part of the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Datasets (the Federal Reserve Economic Data database), and the original source can be found [here](https://www.quandl.com/data/FRED/NROU).