The unemployment numbers pass from Census surveyors to career civil servants at the Bureau of Labor Statistics to the political appointees in the administration. But safeguards to protect the integrity of the data abound.

Newly hired, unemployed and looking, discouraged and out of work: Meet five Los Angeles area residents who put faces on the September employment picture.

U.S. employers added 114,000 jobs in September, according to the Labor Department's latest report. Economists say that it's a slightly positive indicator -- but not a particularly strong one. Many say that even more jobs needed to be created to keep the economy growing. The drop in the unemployment rate may reflect revisions to data out during the summer that may be stronger than originally thought.

If you're looking for a job or trying to get ahead in this economy, there's some age-old wisdom that would seem to apply: play up your accomplishments. Seems obvious, but maybe that's in fact not your best plan of attack.