What is the current rate of unemployment? Does it count the long term unemployed?

Question

By long term unemployed, I mean those who have been unemployed so long that they cannot draw unemployment.

Answer 1

The unemployment rate for June 2008 is 5.5%.  The unemployment rate is not calculated based on how long someone's been out of a job or whether they're collecting benefits; it's calculated based on whether a person is searching for a job.  So if someone's been out of work for 6 years and has given up on finding a job, they are not counted as unemployed, but if they are still applying places, then they are unemployed.