With a 8% unemployment rate, why is that a recession?

I don't know very much about economics, but why is a 8% unemployment rate called a recession? I know some other factors play into the recession like foreclosures and stuff, but isn't a 90% employment rate enough to hold up the economy? Why shouldn't it be? There must be some fraudulent stuff happening behind the scenes. The majority of Americans are still working, yet we're in a recession. Why?

Also, I wrote an article about this. It's also about what we can do to get out of the "recession". It's called Is the economy really that bad? Here's the link:

Well, for me to be out of a job for a whole year, for the first time since I was 15 yrs old its a recession. I liked your blog also.

especially the last paragraph:

"This is why people say that the Bush stimulus check didn't work. People took the check and put it in their savings instead of spending it. In order for us to get out of this "recession", we are going to have to start spending. The more money you spend, the more money the business will make. The more a business makes, the bigger the business will grow. The bigger a business grows, the more people they will need to hire. This creates jobs. And most of all, this reduces the unemployment rate."
So for those of us who have a job......let's get out there and spend some money!!!

The problem with the Bush stimulus check was that people did spend it. They wen to walmart or elsewhere an bought all that stuff made in China. Now, How did that help anyone besides the clerk at the cash register making 7 bucks an hr.

Yeah, you make a really good point. People probably in fact spent the money on foreign made products. And thank you for reading the article, I appreciate it. I'm currently employed, but I lost my previous job during the high of the recession, and I felt like the ecenomy was very bad too. I have my own business, and I blamed the slow sales on the recession, but I truly think that the recession is more in our minds than it is in real life. There needs to be more emphasis on the creation of jobs, so I hope Obama gets on that next. I would like to take on a second job, but because of the economy, I haven't gotten hired.

HEHE, Thanks. Starting to grow a little thanks to Krista. We just need to get more people here. it would get real interesting.