[TomGuy]

No, you are wrong. Your response refers to the "reference week." That occurs ONLY when a person files for UE benefits. After benefits run out, a person no longer files; thus, they cease to exist for statistical purposes.

They may continue to be considered "active" and "searching for work" through their local state employment office, but they are no longer counted in the weekly "unemployed" numbers (after their benefits have run out).

[KarlInOhio]

http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm#Ques2

Where do the statistics come from?

Because unemployment insurance records, which many people think are the source of total unemployment data, relate only to persons who have applied for such benefits, and since it is impractical to actually count every unemployed person each month, the Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country. The CPS has been conducted in the United States every month since 1940 when it began as a Work Projects Administration project. It has been expanded and modified several times since then. As explained later, the CPS estimates, beginning in 1994, reflect the results of a major redesign of the survey.