[looscnnn]

I am not saying the sky is falling, I am glad that the jobs are being created. However, I think that all people able to work should be counted. If you have your own business, you are counted as employed. If you are in school with no job, you are unemployed. It is not that hard to put these numbers out there. They can even say that x% of the unemployed are students, that would give people an honest rate. Are they afraid to have the true numbers released?

[goodnesswins]

"If you are in school with no job, you are unemployed."

HUH? If "you are in school" YOU are a STUDENT!!! Should NOT be counted as unemployed.

[alwaysconservative]

You count as "unemployed" if you say you want to be working for someone else but are not. Unfortunately, under the regulations that have been in place for several administrations, this doesn't properly reflect that most people who are self-employed who are working and making an income (thus, not "unemployed" as we generally understand the term). And contrary to what has been stated here, unemployment DOES count those who are not working but who are not still seeking unemployment benefits, such as students.

(Another problem is that most people mix-up the "jobless claims" with the unemployed, and the percentage uses the higher number. Also, the press seldom reports that a number of jobless claims are denied on grounds of merit, such as a termination for misconduct or a voluntary quit. That doesn't make them any less unemployed, but it does affect how many jobless claims are actually paid.)

Sorry if this answer sounds too technical. In other words, IIRC, we are pretty much at "full" employment somewhere around 2.5%. Maybe the foreign leaders supporting Kerry should divulge their unemployment numbers for our review, LOL!

[saul goode]

"I am not saying the sky is falling, I am glad that the jobs are being created. However, I think that all people able to work should be counted. If you have your own business, you are counted as employed. If you are in school with no job, you are unemployed. It is not that hard to put these numbers out there. They can even say that x% of the unemployed are students, that would give people an honest rate. Are they afraid to have the true numbers released?"

You may be right. However, following your logic, the only change to reporting the UE rate at 5.7% would be calling it the relative UE rate. If people give up looking for a job today, they did the same thing 1 year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, etc. Adjusting the number today to reflect these people without adjusting these numbers in the past is like Algore recounting ballots in Democratic counties and not Republican ones.