I don't live in the states so I'm wondering if this stats could also imply that more people are becoming self employed/starting their own business?
The U.S. unemployment number does not count: 1. "Discouraged workers" - people who are no longer looking for a job because they figure they can't get one anyway. 2. Workers underemployed by time - people who work part-time but want a full-time job 3. Workers underemployed by skill - people who have qualifications and experience for a more difficult job than the one they are currently working, i.e. a chemist who stocks shelves at Wal-Mart because the local chemical plant shut down and there's nowhere else to go
So even with an unemployment number of 20% (considered disastrously high for most purposes), that doesn't necessarily mean the economy is sweetness and light for the other 80%, either.