The official unemployment rate calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics excludes people who have not actively sought a job in the preceding four weeks, as they are no longer considered part of the civilian labor force." - from this article
How does that work? You still need money to survive but you’ve given up looking for work? You can’t be on welfare forever - how do those folks survive?
Move in w/family members, get on food stamps, run up credit card debt…a variety of ways, really. Usually several combined.