"Unemployment"

[Jim Dator]

This may have already been discussed to death on this list, but if not,
I wonder if anyone knows the facts of the history of how "unemployment"
is reckoned in the US.

I seem to recollect that there was a major re-reckoning in the early 80s
which resulted in a substantial reduction in the numbers of people
officially classified as "unemployed" in the US.

Anyone got the facts on this?