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.
Two Jobs Hourly Rate System of Equations

$20/hr carpenter, $25/hr blacksmith. Worked 30 hours total, earned $690. Find hours at each job.

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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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