[AntiGuv]

Just one other clarification, in case that issue comes up. This 'discouraged worker' statistic does not include housewives, stay-at-home dads, etc because those fall under the category of 'would not work if employment available' or however that question gets worded.

[Revolting cat!]

Someone once posted an official gubmint explanation of how the unemployment stats are compiled. Guess what? It's all Alice in the Wonderland stuff. The sincere beyond belief explanation had it that counting all unemployed would be physically impossible, so the gubmint samples the populace every week, by phone, or who knows how, but in the end, unless you are a staunch believer in the notion that a 1000 household sample can have any relationship to reality, the unemployment figures you see in the papers are total fantasy!