The unemployment rate for September of 2009 reached 9.8% of the American workforce, as seasonally adjusted. ( Traditional Unemployment Rate )

This number is very misleading, as the main factor in this indicator is the number of individuals receiving unemployment benefits. unfortunately, not all unemployed individuals receive unemployment benefits, for a variety of reasons.

Recognizing this flaw, the D.O.L. in 1995 started a new measure for unemployment, the U6 unemployment rate. this rate calculates in many other unemployed individuals, and as a result it shows a much larger unemployment rate, 17%. ( U6 Unemployment Rate ) This shockingly high number includes people who are under-employed, self-employed but can’t maintain their revenue stream, individuals whose unemployment has expired, and individuals who for whatever reason are not receiving unemployment benefits but who are unemployed.

What this means is that roughly 1 in every 6 working Americans is out of work or substantially underemployed. For those who are currently unemployed, this is not a surprised—you have encountered this on a daily basis as you struggle through this career transition.