Which means that for the month in question they are NOT participating in the labor market.
NO...it merely means on the day they answered the question they were not. And even so, howsoever a sample is applied, it is still only a "representative sample" and may not actually have value among the hundreds of millions it is supposed to represent.
Who cares about fault? And the point is that if they're not trying to get a job we can't know if they could or not. For Discouraged, we just have their belief, which may or may not be accurate.
I do, because I know their belief is NOT inaccurate. This is a buyer's market, and employers have ample choice among hundreds of candidates in just about any job opening. Human Resources sections don't want to deal with ALL applicants, so they do triage...eliminating people "too old, too young, not enough education, too much education, criminal records...etc. That's business as usual, which is more devastating to job seekers in a smaller job market. If you happen to fall into one or more of those categories and consistently get no response from applications, you might get a little discouraged. Ya think?
I've also dealt with hundreds of discharged workers who had criminal records and were so desparate to work they denied criminal history on applications in hopes of getting a foot in the door and proving their value. They get hired, work for 6 - 13 months with no problems, then get fired for lying. In every case when I asked the employer would they have hired the person had they been honest on the application, the answer was NO! These people wanted to work and had good work records once hired, some even up for promotions when the info was discovered. If they are honest they don't get hired, if they lie they get hired and work some, but then get fired for lying. Would you get "discouraged?"
You're saying they're lying about their reasons?
Uh...if you are asking about reasons given by the unemployed? NO, for the most part they are telling the TRUTH about their reasons. Why would you think I thought the unemployed were lying? Employers? Hell yes, they lie all the time, an opinion garnered from empirical evidence.
And your alternative would be......???
Duh, you already know it...count everyone of legal age and capable of working, minus prisoners, soldiers, retirees, and disabled on public assistance based on info garnered from tax records. Basically counting everyone else including the "Hidden Unemployed."
Households are in the survey for 4 months, out for 8, back in for 4. Each month is 8 panels each in a different month, so every month you have around 7,5000 in their first month, and 7,500 returning after a break. So about 75% of the sample is the same from one month to the next and for the same month in consecutive years, about 50% is the same.
OH. so it IS like the Nielson Ratings? LOL It's still a B/S system as far as I am concerned.
It's a very complicated survey and really, it couldn't be manipulated...
....blah blah blah. If you are of legal age, capable of working, and can make yourself available for work THEN YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED! Period! That's because at any time of any working day you have the potential of seeking work.
Anything else is business supported government propaganda.