Why is it useful to identify or analyze occupational and industrial trends when considering your career path? a. jobs are all pretty much the same, so looking at trends will give you a precise picture of what the future should look like. b. watching the trends within your chosen industry can tell you when you should expect to be promoted, so you can base your long-term goals around statistical trends. c. occupational trends can give you an idea of whether a certain industry is improving or declining, and might you identify how competitive your specific job market will be. d. analyzing trends is not useful since statistics tend to be incorrect or misleading.

I think the answer is C. Knowing whether and industry is improving or declining can be very useful when looking for employment.

The business cycle is the periodic but irregular up-and-down movement in economic activity, measured by fluctuations in real gross domestic product (gdp) and other macroeconomic variables. a business cycle is typically characterized by four phases—recession, recovery, growth, and decline—that repeat themselves over time. economists note, however, that complete business cycles vary in length. the duration of business cycles can be anywhere from about two to twelve years, with most cycles averaging six years in length. some business analysts use the business cycle model and terminology to study and explain fluctuations in business inventory and other individual elements of corporate operations. but the term "business cycle" is still primarily associated with larger (industry-wide, regional, national, or even international) business trends.