Proper interpretation of unemployment figures requires an understanding of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s working definition of “employment.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a person 16 or older is considered employed if he or she has worked at least one hour for pay or profit during the reference period, or did not work due to illness, vacation, labor dispute, bad weather, or personal leave. A person is not considered unemployed if they are not in the labor force (e.g. retired or not looking for work).