The "Real" Unemployment Rate by County

Every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts a survey of about 60,000 households to measure the national unemployment rate, which arguably undercounts the unemployed based on how it defines an unemployed person seeking work.

To get the numbers you see here, broken out by county, the BLS uses data like unemployment insurance claims and the number of people entering or reentering the work force. This measure, while arguably more accurate, produces much higher figures for the unemployment rate. (Read about the methodology here.)