The job market
The job market
Maximizing full employment is one of the Fed's main responsibilities, but so far it's proven one of its toughest.

The unemployment rate remains at 8.8%. While that might seem like a vast improvement over the peak of 10.1% in October 2009, economists attribute much of the decline to the unemployed simply giving up -- not getting jobs.

According to Labor Department statistics, the American population grew by 2 million over the last year, yet the size of the workforce dropped by 500,000.

And at least 6.1 million people have been unemployed for more than 6 months -- a point that Bernanke repeatedly has stressed as a major challenge to the economy, and the Fed, going forward.


Last updated May 11 2011: 4:02 PM ET

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