The Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity reports that America's actual unemployment picture is far grimmer than official figures suggest. Their "True Rate of Unemployment" metric stands at 24.8 percent—a number that factors in underemployment and discouraged workers who've dropped out of the labor force entirely. This matters for crypto markets more than people realize. When real economic pressure mounts and purchasing power erodes, asset allocation shifts follow. Understanding the true employment landscape helps explain broader economic sentiment and capital flows.