Percentage Word Problems

Percentage problems cover discounts, tax, tips, markups, percent change, and "what percent of X is Y" questions. They seem simple but generate more errors than almost any other category, mostly because people confuse what the percentage is being applied to. A 20% discount followed by a 10% additional discount is not 30% off — and understanding why requires careful thinking about what the base is at each step. These problems are everywhere in daily life: reading a sale sign, calculating a tip, understanding a news headline about a 15% increase in housing prices. Mastering them means you stop being fooled by numbers in the real world.
Unemployment Percent Change

Find percent change in unemployed workers when both unemployment rate and total workforce change. Two-step percentage problem.

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