<the> regional unemployment rate

[Roundhouse]

This is from a report. I am wondering if the omission of "the" in front of "regional unemployment rate" is an error. Or is "the" there optional? I am asking because I am writing something similar and I want to put in the "the" as that sounds natural to me.

Author: "The system is intended to respond to need, that is, those who face greater barriers to finding a new job should receive greater support. At present, regional unemployment rate is the only factor used to determine how hard it is for someone to get a job. "

There are 62 specific regions in the country. Those regions have their own unemployment rates.

 

[dojibear]

It's correct without "the". It would also be correct with "the".

 

[kentix]

I can't imagine it without "the".

 

[Roxxxannne]

I'm with dojibear. 'The regional unemployment rate' is correct if one is specifying a particular rate, but 'regional unemployment rate' (without the article), as a phrase describing an abstraction, is also correct.

 

[Roundhouse]

I'm with dojibear. 'The regional unemployment rate' is correct if one is specifying a particular rate, but 'regional unemployment rate' (without the article), as a phrase describing an abstraction, is also correct.

Hello Roxxxannne, in your opinion, is the use of "the" appropriate/correct when "the regional unemployment rate" is being used as a phrase describing an abstraction?

 

[kentix]

I imagined other factors (not necessarily logically meaningful, just as examples).

regional unemployment rate
inflation rate
average provincial salary
yearly inches of snow
number of planets in the solar system
price of tea in China
number of peas in an average pea pod

None of them sound right without "the" in that sentence to me.

At present, ________________ is the only factor used to determine how hard it is for someone to get a job

 

[Roundhouse]

@kentix @dojibear It seems like there are some of you who say that it might be incorrect without the "the". But no one disagrees that it will be correct with the "the" in there. I think I will just put "the" in there.

 

[Roxxxannne]

Hello Roxxxannne, in your opinion, is the use of "the" appropriate/correct when "the regional unemployment rate" is being used as a phrase describing an abstraction?

Yes.

 

[RM1(SS)]

regional unemployment rate
inflation rate
average provincial salary
yearly inches of snow
number of planets in the solar system
price of tea in China
number of peas in an average pea pod

None of them sound right without "the" in that sentence to me.

The first three sound fine to me.