One cause of unemployment may be downswings in the trade…
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One cause of unemployment may be downswings in the trade cycle, i.e. periods of recession. Another explanation of wide-scale unemployment refers to 1 employment; structural unemployment arises from longer-term changes in the economy, affecting 2 industries, regions and occupations. Structural unemployment often explains regional unemployment. Some regions of the UK such as Central Scotland and the North-West have higher rates of unemployment because the 3 heavy industries which 4 there have gone into decline as they are 5 by cheaper imports from abroad. The new high-tech industries based on new technologies tend to be based in the South-East and along particular growth corridors.
Word box (alphabetical)
Opens question #110243 in the RealPTE practice screen.
More Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) questions
Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) format (Pearson)
Formerly called Reading: Fill in the Blanks.
| Prompt | Text up to 80 words |
|---|---|
| Time to answer | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) |
| Skills assessed | Reading |
How it is scored
- The box has more words than there are gaps.
- Partial credit applies: a partly correct response still scores.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 2: Reading, checked 9 October 2026.