Definition Of The Unemployment Rate The unemployment rate is the percentage of the U.S. labor force that is unemployed. It is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by the sum of the number of people unemployed and the number of people employed. The number of people unemployed and the number of people employed is defined as the number of individuals in the labor force. See the current calculation in Table 1.It seems that if you're not actively looking for a job, you're not unemployed.An individual is counted as unemployed if the individual is over the age of 16 and is actively looking for a job, but cannot find one. Students, those individuals who choose to not work, and retirees are not in the labor force, and therefore not counted in the unemployment rate.
So if you're on welfare, you're not counted as unemployed. Typical government statistics. What is it that they say? Figures don't lie, but liars can figure?
and, if you are not collecting unemployment, how do they know you are actively looking for a job?
Well, and how do they know who is looking for a job? I mean, I looked for a job for 2 years after we moved and no one ever came to ask me, nor was there a place to *sign* up to say I was looking.
susie