Unemployment Down or Welfare Up?

Thunder In The Foothills

   Recently District #1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli was heard as saying that unemployment has decreased to 14.9% in Calaveras County.  However with no job growth in the county many are left to wonder if its simply that those whom have exhausted their unemployment benefits are now on welfare?

   Could this account for the decline in unemployment numbers as those who go on welfare and drop from the labor force are no longer considered unemployed?  It seems that the lack of  local jobs have left residents simply transferring from one government assistance program to another.