New evidence suggests that non-searching unemployed people are significantly less satisfied
with their lives than people who are not economically active. Indeed, the non-searching
unemployed have hit rock bottom. Assuming that people do not freely choose an
unsatisfactory state of living, a case is made that the non-searching unemployed – or
‘discouraged workers’ – are involuntarily unemployed and should be included in the definition
and measurement of the labour force. Consequently, a case is made for the adoption of the
broad measure of unemployment.