I have always suspected that this is what the unemployment rate really meant but have never been able to find it written explicitly in a government document. It would be so much more honest to call that number "the percent collecting unemployment insurance payments" or an acronym meaning that. Of course the government prefers to say that people who have run through all of their unemployment benefits are no longer looking for work. This may be true if they have gotten on disability payments or found another person to support them or retired, but not if they still have to support themselves.
It has nothing to do with unemployment checks or disability. It’s a phone survey asking are you working? If not, are you looking for a job. Period!! I HATE how people always after 5 years on here correcting them that there’s no connection between the unemployment rate and who gets benefits.