Chapter 1.5, Problem 1C

Use the table to write a verbal description of trends in the unemployment rate over that 24-year period.

With enough effort, you were probably able to write a reasonable description. But because there’s so much data in the table, spotting the trends isn’t exactly a simple thing to do. Next, let’s look at the same data displayed in graphical form.

Unemployment Rate in the United States

Year

When I look at this graph, two things occur to me: It’s a lot easier to see the trends than it was from looking at the table, and the graph looks kind of like a sea monster with a really big nose, which is totally irrelevant but still pretty cool.