Yes: http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm#concepts http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm#concepts Misfortunate Mary who worked full time last month and made $10k

Yes: http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm#concepts http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm#concepts Misfortunate Mary who worked full time last month and made $10k in salary and benefits gets fired but reports that she now works two hours/month at a local hot dog stand making a total of $20 is considered employed. Lazy Larry who sat on his couch and drank beer last month (and every month before that, yea back unto age 15) reports that he is looking for work (but really, who is he kidding?) is considered unemployed. Homemaker Helen neither has nor is seeking a job so she is not considered employed or unemployed; she is not part of the workforce. Startup Sam quit his job to work feverishly on the Next Big Thing. He reports not being employed but also not looking so he too is not part of the workforce (per the BLS). Definitions like these are one major reason why the household unemployment figures diverge from the official BLS figures.