pinqy
Gold Member
It looks better on paper because people whose benefits have run out are not being counted in the unemployment stats.
Employment Situation FAQ
Is the count of unemployed persons limited to just those people receiving unemployment insurance benefits?
No; the estimate of unemployment is based on a monthly sample survey of households.
All persons who are without jobs and are actively seeking and available to work are included among the unemployed. (People on temporary layoff are included even if they do not actively seek work.) There is no requirement or question relating to unemployment insurance benefits in the monthly survey.
And let's look at the numbers. The Current Population Survey is based on the week of the month that contains the 12th, so for June 2012, that was June 10-16.
Unadjusted Unemployment Insurance Claims all programs (Fed and State) week ending June 16: 5,857,024Unemployment Level week ending June 16 (not seasonally adjusted): 13,184,000But you're saying they should be the same.
Eligibility or receipt of benefits has never been part of the defintion of Unemployed.
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