Frictional Unemployment vs Seasonal Unemployment

Frictional unemployment is short-term unemployment that occurs when people are between jobs or looking for their first job.

Frictional unemployment is a natural part of the job search process and is typically short-lived. It occurs when workers voluntarily leave their jobs to find better ones or when new entrants to the labor force are seeking employment. This type of unemployment is generally considered unavoidable and not a major concern for policymakers.

Seasonal unemployment is joblessness that recurs at certain times of year because demand for some work rises and falls with the seasons.

Examples include ski instructors in summer or retail workers after the holidays. Official unemployment data are often 'seasonally adjusted' to remove these predictable swings and reveal the underlying trend.