It may seem that no group has been hit harder by the recession than

It may seem that no group has been hit harder by the recession than the young since the official unemployment rate for those under age 25 is 16.2%, more than double the rate for the population as a whole. However, the figures may not provide the correct picture. The worst – hit group could be people above 60, an age-group in which the impact has been so severe that people have stopped even looking for jobs. Since the government considers only those jobless people unemployed who are actively looking for work, people who stop looking are instead considered “not in the labor force,” even if they prefer to work given the opportunity.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A) The first and second are facts used in order to support a conclusion.
B) The first is an observation that is challenged by other information in the argument; the second is that information.
C) The first is a consideration used to challenge the position taken by the author; the second provides an alternative explanation that supports the opinion of the author.
D) The first provides certain data whose implications are at issue in the given argument; the second challenges the authenticity of that data.
E) The first is used as a basis to infer an implication, the validity of which becomes doubtful in light of the other information presented in the argument; the second is a part of that information.