[xzins]

The number of unemployed persons was essentially unchanged at 8.2 million in May, and the unemployment rate held at 5.6 percent. The unemployment rate has been either 5.6 or 5.7 percent in each month since December 2003. The unemployment rates for the major worker groups--adult men (5.2 percent), adult women (4.8 percent), teenagers (17.2 percent), whites (5.0 percent), blacks (9.9 percent), and Hispanics or Latinos (7.0 percent)--were little changed in May. The unemployment rate for Asians was 4.2 percent, not seasonally ad- justed. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

I strongly object to teenagers being in the unemployment figures.

At a minimum, it should be teenagers who are not claimed as dependents on another's tax return, and who are not wards of any government or charitable agency.

Including teenagers really unnecessarily skews these numbers.

[Sacajaweau]

That popped out for me, too. Daddy and Mommy make more money today and teens are looking for spending money. It's not like years ago when a lot of the kid's wages went to help out at home.....and we didn't buy $100 sneakers either.

[Koblenz]

Aren't most teenagers still in school for this period? It's not a summer unemployment report...