▁was ▁ 4 . 2 % ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁ 4 . 6 % ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁and ▁ 7 . 2 % ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Emp loyment ▁pe aked ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁decl ined ▁through ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁Current ▁Population ▁Survey ▁( aka ▁House hold ▁Survey ) ▁measures ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁that ▁is ▁employed ▁and ▁un emp loy ed . ▁The ▁result ▁can ▁be ▁multip lied ▁by ▁population ▁estimates ▁to ▁get ▁total ▁employ ment ▁estimates . ▁This ▁survey ▁has ▁the ▁advantage ▁over ▁the ▁pay roll ▁survey ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁includes ▁self - emp loy ed . ▁The ▁House hold ▁Survey ▁is ▁less ▁accurate ▁in ▁producing ▁total ▁numbers ▁since ▁it ▁requires ▁population ▁estimates ▁and ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁samples ▁many ▁fewer ▁people ▁( 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁households ▁versus ▁ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁business ▁establish ments ). ▁For ▁better ▁or ▁worse , ▁the ▁House hold ▁Survey ▁counts ▁multiple ▁jobs ▁held ▁by ▁one ▁person ▁only ▁once , ▁and ▁it ▁includes ▁government ▁workers , ▁farm ▁workers , ▁un pa id ▁family ▁workers , ▁and ▁workers ▁absent ▁without ▁pay . ▁The ▁House hold ▁Survey ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁employed ▁decre ased ▁from ▁ 6 4 . 4 % ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁ 6 2 . 1 % ▁in ▁August