Final answer:
The "blackout period" affects the benefits of employees, retirees, and dependents by temporarily restricting access to their retirement accounts.
Higher unemployment rates are observed typically among non-White people, the young, and high school graduates compared to college graduates.
Social Security and Medicare are primarily for the elderly, who will be a growing demographic due to the retirement of baby boomers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "blackout period" typically refers to a time when employees cannot make changes to their retirement or pension plans, often because of changes being made to the plan by the employer.
During this time, employees, retirees, and dependents may be temporarily unable to access their accounts or make changes to their benefits.
Hence, the correct answer to the question of whose benefits are affected by the "blackout period" is:
A) Employees
C) Retirees
D) Dependents
Regarding the unemployment rates in the U.S. economy, they are commonly higher among:
a. Non-White people
b. The young
c. Those with lower educational levels, such as high school graduates compared to college graduates.
Social Security and Medicare primarily assist the elderly, who use these programs for income and healthcare support.
This demographic will experience growth as the number of baby boomers reaching retirement age increases, placing a heavier burden on the younger workforce.
Employers offering pensions are also part of the economic system, contributing to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation to safeguard employees' pensions in case of company bankruptcy.