Question

2. Wendy’s friend Bob worked for the same software company but they didn’t renew his contract. Now he’s applying for jobs, but can’t collect unemployment benefits because he wasn’t technically an employee. Bob is:

Not in the labor force but "marginally attached"

Unemployed

Not in the labor force and not "marginally attached"

3. Jim works in construction, but his project got shut down for a week because of a snowstorm. As a result, Jim didn’t get paid. He’ll go back to work once the snow clears. Jim is:

Employed

Unemployed

Not in the labor force

4. Jim’s friend Trevor got laid off in January, so Jim suggested he stop by his work site to pick up some shifts as a day laborer. But since the site was shut down by the snowstorm, Trevor spent the week emailing friends to see if they’d heard of any jobs. Trevor is:

Employed

Unemployed

Not in labor force

5. Jane had been out of work for six months. She started setting up networking meetings with professional contacts, but in early January she came down with a severe case of the flu and hasn’t had the strength to look for work -- although she’d take a job if anyone offered her one. Otherwise, she will get back to searching as soon as she’s healthy. Jane is:

Unemployed

Not in the labor force but "marginally attached"

Not in the labor force and not “marginally attached”

6. Omar lost his job in April. After a few months of fruitless job searching, he stopped looking for work in order to enroll in a full-time nursing program. His state allows him to keep collecting unemployment benefits while in school. Omar is:

Unemployed

Not in the labor force and not “marginally attached”

Not in the labor force but "marginally attached"

7. David lost his job in May and has been looking for work ever since. In the meantime, he’s helping out his sister by watching her two-year-old daughter. He’s still applying for jobs, but he isn’t considering any that require immediate availability because he promised his sister he would give her at least two weeks to make alternative childcare arrangements. David is:

Not in the labor force and not “marginally attached”

Unemployed

Not in the labor force but "marginally attached"

8. Luis is a machinist at a local factory. When business slowed down early this year, his plant cut back to one shift and told Luis not to come back to work until March 15. Luis’s cousin offered him a job as a fry cook at his restaurant, but it only paid $12 an hour, so Luis decided just to wait until he can return to his factory job. Luis is:

Employed

Not in labor force

Unemployed

9. Pablo retired from his job as an auto mechanic in 2007, but he helps out his friends by maintaining their cars. He usually won’t accept any pay for his efforts, but for the past few weeks he has let his friends pay him in order to have some spending money on an upcoming cruise. Pablo is:

Unemployed

Not in labor force

Employed

10. Carla works as a nanny while she’s earning her college degree. She gets free room and board, and is paid a small stipend under-the-table. Carla is:

Not in the labor force but "marginally attached"

Not in the labor force and not "marginally attached"

Employed

11. Tony got out of the Army last year and has been a full-time student ever since. He isn’t working while in school, but he remains in the Army Reserve and is paid for his regular training. Tony is:

Employed

Not in the labor force and not “marginally attached”

Not in the labor force but "marginally attached"

12. Juan has been applying for jobs every day since his seasonal retail job ended in December. This week, he finally got offered a job as a lifeguard at the local Y. Before he can start, he has to renew his CPR certification and take a first aid class. He won’t be paid for the classes. Juan is:

Employed

Not in the labor force

Unemployed

13. Felix is a full-time college student, but he works evenings and weekends on his parents’ farm. He doesn’t get paid for his work. Felix is:

Unemployed

Not in the labor force.

Employed

14. When Samantha retired three years ago, she sold her furniture business to her business partner, but still retains a passive 20% stake in order to help fund her retirement lifestyle. She isn’t involved in the store’s management and holds no other job. Samantha is:

Employed

Not in the labor force

Unemployed

15. Jenna, a college dropout, has been looking for work since she got laid off in 2011. She spends hours every day scanning online job listings, but she hasn’t actually applied for a job in two months because all the open positions require a bachelor’s degree. She’s going back to school to finish her degree, but still hopes to find a job. Jenna is:

Unemployed

Not in the labor force and "discouraged"

Not in the labor force but not "discouraged"

16. Christine graduated from college in May but hasn’t been able to find work, despite sending out three applications a week since graduation. At her friends’ urging, Christine decides to take a week off searching to rebuild her spirits. Christine is:

Not in the labor force and "discouraged"

Unemployed

Not in the labor force but not "discouraged"

17. Megan spent 10 years as an accountant, but got laid off in 2007 and decided to stay home with her children. Now that her kids are in school, Megan is hoping to get back to work, but she hasn’t started applying yet because the job market still looks too tough in her area. Megan is:

Unemployed

Not in the labor force but not "discouraged"

Not in the labor force and "discouraged"

18. Randal got fired from his job at a video rental store because he never showed up to work. While continuing to apply for jobs, Randal is making ends meet by selling his comic book collection on eBay. Randal is:

Employed

Unemployed

Not in the labor force

19. Randal’s friend Dante quit his convenience-store job in December and is trying to make a living by selling subscriptions to his Star Wars fan-fiction blog. Last week, he bought $25 worth of Google ads and pulled an all-nighter redesigning his Web site, but has yet to sell a subscription. Dante is:

Unemployed

Employed

Not in the labor force

20. Jay is serving six months in prison for selling marijuana. Jay is:

Not counted in the survey at all

Not in the labor force

Unemployed