>>>>>I looked at the link and this line:
>>>>>
>>>>> The nonlabour force includes those who are not looking for work,
>>>>>
>>>>>just supports what I said. If you have given up, stopped looking for work, and gone on the dole, you are no longer considered unemployed.
>>>>
>>>>But my question was : WHEN did that become the criteria......
>>>
>>>It didn't. The official definition of unemployment has not changed. Marcia is just trying to move the goalposts. I like her in some ways, and respect her professionally without qualification, but god she can be an aggravating woman.
>>
>>I've a feeling Marcia may be right in that the definition of 'unemployed' *has* changed over time. I know it's the case in the UK - don't know whether (or when) it happened in the U.S. If it *did* change in the last five years I don't see any dramatic downward trend in the graphs....
>
>
>I think some of the confusion arose because the 'denominator' in the unemployment ratio calculation changed, leading some commentators to declare that the drop in unemployments rate was just 'smoke and mirrors'.
>
>http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/02/bls-warned-about-census-adjustment-in-december-2011/

Seems that change was effective Jan 2012 - but the unemployment figures have been declining since Dec '09 ?