>Ken Hirsch <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Jim Phillips  wrote:
>> The problem with the unemployment rate is that it only measures the
>> percentage of people who are receiving benefits, not the
>> percentage of people who are out of work and actively looking for >> employment.  These percentages are different because unemployment >> benefits usually have a time limit on them (in Ohio, it's six
>> months), so the people who haven't been able to find a job in
>> that time are not counted anymore.  Nor are the people who have
>> taken a job outside of their chosen profession ("You want fries
>> with that?")...
>
> This isn't correct.  The unemployment rate is calculated by a phone
> survey asking people if they are employed, and if they aren't
> employed, are they looking for work.   It doesn't have anything to
> do with benefits, which are reported separately.

Are you sure about that?  As someone who just spent almost 3 months being unemployed, the only way they accounted for me was by my signing up with the state for benefits.  In fact, it's interesting, in Michigan they primarily report on First-Time Filers when reporting unemployment week to week, but I'm sure the overall unemployment figures come from the state unemployment agency.  You are required to check-in by phone bi-weekly to receive benefits.  You can receive benefits for 26 weeks.

Jim
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