Goverment releases on employment what they say and don't say...

The wording always makes me wonder when reading government releases:

The number of unemployed persons was essentially unchanged in June, at 8.5 million, and the unemployment rate held at 5.5 percent. A year earlier, the number of unemployed persons was 7.0 million, and the jobless rate was 4.6 percent.

This may mean that the number of unemployed persons has not changed over the past month or so, but when you compare the numbers to last year, there are one and a half million more people who are unemployed. That's the population of the City of Toledo times more than three since last year.

Those that are seeking employment depending on their experience and the region they live in are having a difficult time.