Unemployment Rate

Aren't you a bit tired of labor statistics that do not show the reality of our collective situation? We have a monthly unemployment rate that does not accurately reflect what is actually going on in our country. Look at April's numbers. They show the unemployment rate going down, not because of the number of jobs created, but because more Americans stopped looking for work.  The current rate measures the number of jobs created and the number of people supposedly looking for work, but does not count those who are no longer looking. Who are these people no longer looking? Am I included? I have been looking since 2008, but I am sure I am counted among those who stopped looking. But, nobody asked if I stopped. As far as I know nobody checked to see how many resumes I sent out or how many networking events I attended. Why measure (? - not so sure it's measureable) and report an unemployment rate that does not reflect our situation?
We can easily count the number of employed people and we can certainly count the number of people living here of working age, including illegals. So, why not report that number? I believe that number more accurately reflects what is going on in the labor market. Is it because that number would show unemployment at about 30+%?  We could also develop the yearly average income and report that as a function of total employment. It would tell us how we are doing not only in employment, but in dollars. What would that tell us? It would tell us whether or not the new jobs were paying a living wage. Not all jobs are good jobs. If we lose a job paying $75,000/year and replace it with a job paying $30,000/year, are we better or worse off?
Politicians love statistics! They can dance around any number reported to show whatever it is they are trying to prove. Remember, "figures lie, and liars figure". Politicians do both. We (the people) need to make it a  crime for any politician to lie to us, not the other way around (it is a crime for us to lie to Congress).
So, let's get a new reporting method and stop the reporting that allows Obama to say one thing and Romney another, without either being called a liar.