>http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/money/us-jobless-rate-falls-to-6-year-low-of-59-pct/ar-BB7eEdY
>
>Ah, yes. when you go off of unemployment and onto welfare or disability, you are not longer unemployed. And this is good news?

Of course it's not good news, but it is a necessary safety net in some cases.
I know of one case personally.
This young man graduated from a good engineering school.
After graduation he had trouble holding jobs because of what he called "distractions."
Then he became severely schizophrenic and heard voices constantly (his story is similar to that of John Nash of "A Beautiful Mind") and was found wandering naked through the streets of Boston in the middle of the winter.
His parents are middle income people and they wiped out their savings trying to care for him.
He can't work and has to be supervised.
His social worker helped qualify him for disability and for assistance with his medical bills.
He now lives in a group home in Boston and with the help of meds is able to get along.

Not a happy story, but there are many like that and that's why that safety net exists.