The unemployment rate is calculated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics household survey and has nothing to do with the people collecting unemployment checks. You can be unemployed according to the BLS without being eligible for unemployment (formerly self employed, just out of school, out for too long, not looking for work enough for local unemployment office and lost your benefit). You can also be collecting unemployment checks without being unemployed according to the BLS (in school for a retraining program where you still get unemployment checks, not looking for work hard enough for the BLS to count you, not immediately available for work due to injury or illness).
It was an observation, not a commentary on the methodology utilized by the BLS to calculate initial claims (which is what the thread referenced). But, thanks for reiterating easily obtained information.
Excellent post.
The definitions of unemployment rate and unemployment claims are widely misunderstood.