📊 GMAT Exam Prep

A government introduced a new policy aimed at reducing the national unemployment rate, which officially began implementation in January 2022. The graph below displays the national unemployment rate (in percentage) from January 2021 to December 2022, with monthly data points. The graph shows the unemployment rate was relatively stable at around 6% throughout 2021, and then began a consistent decline, reaching 4.5% by December 2022. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the provided information?

A The new government policy was the sole cause of the decrease in unemployment.
B The new government policy appears to have been associated with a decrease in unemployment.
C The decline in unemployment would have occurred even without the new policy.
D The policy was ineffective, as unemployment only decreased by 1.5%.

✓ Correct Answer: Option B

The graph shows a decline in unemployment coinciding with the policy's implementation, suggesting an association. However, correlation does not imply causation, so stating it as the 'sole cause' is an overstatement. There's no information to support options C or D.

Related GMAT Exam Prep Questions