Comment Re:"Left the labor force" (Score 1) 182
No, it means that they've lost their jobs and their Unemployment Benefits have run out. The various government agencies responsible for these numbers assume that if you're not receiving government handouts you've left the workforce and they stop counting you as unemployed.
Citation? It seems consistent with personal experience. I have only ever been poled while I was collecting unemployment. I have exhausted my benefits multiple times for extended periods, including now. Yet, I can't seem to find any official or even reputable source that says this.