The Unemployment Level measures the number of people in the US who are currently unemployed. Anyone in the labor force older than 16 years old is defined as unemployed if they were not employed during the survey reference week, were available for work, and made at least one active effort to find a job during the 4-week survey period. Note that individuals not actively looking for work are not counted. Unemployment tends to rise sharply during recessions and helps gauge overall economic health. Data is sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), series UNEMPLOY.