Roland: The alarming fact is that 90 percent of the people in this country now report that they know someone who is unemployed  Sharon: But a normal, moderate level of unemployment is 5 percent, with 1 out of 20 workers unemployed
So at any given time if a person knows approximately 50 workers, one or more will very likely be unemployed
It is unlikely that the people whose statements Roland cites are giving accurate reports.