Two things to keep in mind about jobless figures:
1. They are extrapolated from samples, so there are errors that are regularly corrected - every month, the numbers from 1-2 months previous are revised. I do NOT believe the numbers were cooked.
2. Using today's numbers and comparing them to employment figures four years ago, there are over 11% fewer workers: unemployment numbers do not take into account those that have dropped out of the workforce. Assuming the workforce has stayed constant (which it hasn't; it has grown), that means real unemployment is over 11%.
I'm just sayin' ...