Which of the following are macroeconomic problems?

• Raw material inventory control
• Cyclical unemployment
• Externalities that have negative effects on society
• The pricing policies of firms
• Business cycles

The following are macroeconomical problems:

• Cyclical unemployment
• Business cycles

The business cycle, also called the economic cycle, is a period of time characterized by the fluctuations in economic activity measured by the growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP). Such a period normally contains a peak (or boom in economic growth) and a recession (stagnation or decline in economic growth). While an economic boom is associated with increases in productivity, production, consumption, and prices, a recession hosts a slowdown of economic activity, which usually results in a drop in production and prices and an increase in the unemployment rate.

Cyclical unemployment is directly related to the business cycles of the economy. At the peak of the business cycle, when the economy is in a rapid growth stage, the increased demand for goods and services results in increased productivity and demand for labor. In this case, the unemployment rate will be low. During a recession, however, when a demand for goods and services falls, the production (output) drops and that results in less demand for workers, causing the cyclical unemployment rate to rise.