My hunch sides with yours as well, but I think they're discounting the HUGE segment of undocumented day laborers. When I left the U.S. a little over a month ago, we had hispanic day laborers loitering outside grocery stores in midday in northern virginia. Normally you wouldn't see them after 9AM or so.
The "undocumented" workers are undocumented only in government reports, but their impact and contributions are felt throughout.
In France they got a law to help restaurants. Effect of the law? No additional employment - and - productivity decreased. Why? Most restaurant used the additional money to hire officially people working unofficially before that...
The "undocumented" workers are undocumented only in government reports, but their impact and contributions are felt throughout.