The structurally unemployed are individuals who have no jobs because they lack skills valued by the labor market, either because demand has shifted away from the skills they do have, or because they never learned any skills.

What is a structurally unemployed person?

Key Takeaways. Structural unemployment is long-lasting unemployment that comes about due to shifts in an economy. This type of unemployment happens because though jobs are available, there's a mismatch between what companies need and what available workers offer.

What is an example of structurally unemployed?

Farmers in emerging market economies are another example of structural unemployment. Free trade allowed global food corporations access to their markets. That put small-scale farmers out of business. They couldn't compete with the lower prices of global firms.