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It might be presented that way, but it is "improving" now because those who had 99 weeks of benefits are starting to run out, and when they are off the list, they don't count any more. It is as bogus as calculating the CPI without energy and food prices and using that to establish inflation.

The feds use the lowest possible number, with the minimal factors involved to get to that 8.6%. By election time, it'll be engineered down to below 8%. This is one of the huge advantages Obama has.. a low bar to cross, only having to provide the sheeple with enough "evidence" that we've turned the corner.

Even though they can cook the books on the teevee, the people sitting at home or scratching to bring in a buck are going to know it's BS, and there are millions of them.

This is where the GOP needs to hold the administration's feet to the fire and pressure them to release real numbers, but they are unlikely to do so out of fear it will be spun back at them.

ScottinVA: The feds use the lowest possible number, with the minimal factors involved to get to that 8.6%. By election time, it'll be engineered down to below 8%. This is one of the huge advantages Obama has.. a low bar to cross, only having to provide the sheeple with enough "evidence" that we've turned the corner.

I see this complaint often, but we have only ourselves to blame. The "feds" (BLS) publish the real numbers quite openly CLICK HERE. WE are the ones who accept Axelrod's marketing terms. The MSM uses both as needed to make things look better or worse, and our side goes right along with it talking about "above or below 8%."

U1: Percentage of labor force unemployed 15 weeks or longer.
U2: Percentage of labor force who lost jobs or completed temporary work.
U3: Official unemployment rate per the ILO definition occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively looked for work within the past four weeks.[2]
U4: U3 + "discouraged workers", or those who have stopped looking for work because current economic conditions make them believe that no work is available for them.
U5: U4 + other "marginally attached workers", or "loosely attached workers", or those who "would like" and are able to work, but have not looked for work recently.
U6: U5 + Part time workers who want to work full time, but cannot due to economic reasons (underemployment).

Note: "Marginally attached workers" are added to the total labour force for unemployment rate calculation for U4, U5, and U6. 
The BLS revised the CPS in 1994 and among the changes the measure representing the official unemployment rate was renamed U3 instead of U5.[80]