America's official unemployment rate is 7.7%. That doesn't reflect the millions of people who have dropped out of the labor force. Millions are set to lose their unemployment benefits at the end of the year. Each week, we're running true stories of unemployment, as told by the unemployed. This is what's happening out there.

The official unemployment rate fell to 7.7% last month. But that number is misleading. The percentage of workers who are actually considered to be "participating" in the labor force is now hovering around a three-decade low. Persistent, extended, unrelenting unemployment is now a fact of life for millions of Americans. Every week, we bring you true stories of unemployment, from the unemployed themselves. This is what's happening out there.

As millions of Americans wait to find out whether their unemployment benefits will completely disappear at the end of the year, European unemployment reaches a record high. There are lots of unemployed people in the world today. Each week, we bring you true stories of unemployment from the unemployed themselves. This is what's happening out there.

More than two million Americans are scheduled to lose their unemployment benefits at the end of this year. Beyond that lies the abyss. Every week, we are bringing you true stories from the unemployed. These are your fellow citizens. This is what's happening out there.

America is in the midst of a prolonged unemployment crisis. For the past 15 weeks, we've been bringing you true stories of unemployment, directly from the unemployed. Despair, desperation, and depression have been common themes. So today—in honor of Thanksgiving—we're bringing you some stories with happy endings. Here now, a special Thanksgiving edition of Unemployment: It Gets Better.

America is in the midst of an unemployment crisis. Each week, we bring you true stories from the unemployed. Today: layoffs, illness, losing homes, moving home, falling down, hanging in, and having hope. This is what's happening out there.

New research published in The Lancet today estimates that "rising unemployment may account for around a quarter of the excess suicides [above expected levels] observed in the US since 2007"—nearly 400 extra deaths per year. Our unemployment crisis is far from over. Each week, we're bringing you true stories from the unemployed. Teachers, cops, freelancers, you, me, us: this is what's happening out there.

As of last month, 1.8 million Americans have been unemployed so long that their benefits have run out. "Those who've given up looking slip out of the labor force, into what is sometimes called "nonemployment,'" Businessweek says. "Researchers know remarkably little about them." Each week, we're bringing you the true stories of the unemployed, in their own words. This is what's happening out there.

During tomorrow's presidential debates, you will doubtless hear much talk about unemployment in America, but you will not hear from the unemployed themselves. Here, you can. Each week, we're running true stories from the unemployed. This is what's happening out there.

America's unemployment rate dropped below 8% last month for the first time in more than three years. For millions of Americans, unemployment remains a grim fact of life. Each week, we bring you true stories from the unemployed. This is what's happening out there.

Years after the technical end of the recession, America is still mired in an unemployment crisis. Each week, we're bringing you true stories from the unemployed. This is what's happening out there.

For months now, we've run been publishing stories of unemployment, based on first-person reader submissions about struggles with joblessness. This week, a reader raised concerns that one of the writers who submitted a story might be trying to scam people. This one appears to be a false alarm, but we'd like to address the broader issue here.

When you count the four million people who have stopped looking for work in the past five years, America's unemployment rate today stands at well over 10%. Every week, we're bringing you true stories from the unemployed. This is what's happening out there.

Three years of strong corporate profits have done little to solve America's unemployment crisis. The looming decline of corporate profits won't help, either. The official unemployment rate is still over 8%. More than 13 million Americans are jobless. Every week, we're bringing you their stories. This week's are particularly compelling.

As both political parties are reminding us right now, America is in an unemployment crisis. The latest sunny news: a new report says that even if you land a new job, it's likely to pay low wages.) Each week, we're bringing you true stories from the unemployed. "Just to be clear, the day before you graduate, you are the future of America. The day after, you're on your own." This is what's happening out there.

America is in the midst of an unemployment crisis. Each week, we're bringing you true stories from the unemployed. Today: sex work, startups, suicidal thoughts, and more. This is what's happening out there.

Service meta-journalism: after reading our series of unemployment stories, a staffer at ABC News sent us the following note:

Every week, we're bringing you true stories from those caught in the unemployment crisis. The official U.S. unemployment rate is 8.3 percent; the true rate of hopelessness is much higher. This week: cops, businessmen, lawyers, students, academics, and other fellow Americans. This is what's happening out there.

America is in an unemployment crisis. Every week, we're bringing you true firsthand stories from unemployed Americans. Today: pain, fear, hope, and desperation. This is what's happening out there.

Every week, we're bringing you true stories of unemployment, from the vast land of unemployed America. Today: depression, redemption, struggle, optimism, and the bitterness of the 99%. This is what's happening out there.