[onlyrealcuzzo]

In the US, you're not "unemployed" if you don't have a job and you don't want one.

I believe if you're a US citizen vacationing long-term in France because your work prospects aren't great at the moment - you'll still show up as not in the labor force in the labor force participation rate: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART

But you won't show up in u-1 through u-6.

> Discouraged workers (U-4, U-5, and U-6 measures) are persons who are not in the labor force, want and are available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months

Source: https://www.bls.gov/lau/stalt.htm

[ghaff]

In general, it doesn't really make sense to count someone who isn't trying to be employed as unemployed in general. I am not sure how you would distinguish between a 60 year old who decided they had plenty of money and would rather not work for someone any longer and a 60 year old who got laid off and can't find anyone to hire them for the work they are trained to do.

And, as you say, there are labor force participation numbers if that's what you're interested in.