persons

Noun

 * 1) * 2007 May 14: The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, Current Population Survey Frequently Asked Questions — Question 5: “Who is counted as unemployed?”
 * Persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work.
 * Persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work.

Usage notes

 * Today, all major style guides recommend people rather than persons. For example, the Associated Press and the New York Times recommend "people" except in quotations and set phrases. Under the traditional distinction, which Garner says is pedantic, persons describes a finite, known number of individuals, rather than the collective term people. "Persons" is more used in technical and legal contexts.