That's what I understand this data includes, anyone who holds an "active" certificate however that is defined as of the survey date. We had a debate on another thread about how many fresh comm/atp holders leave the country each year when they are done getting them, and we know that quite a few do, probably hundreds per year as a low guess. Whether that changes their "active" vs. "inactive" status no one here seems to know. However, I find it interesting to note that comm/atp production is fairly constant over the last twenty years and is not getting smaller by any stretch of imagination. This is partly why I insist the alleged pilot shortage is minor. I do think there is a minor shortage, but there is not enough evidence to support the notion of a large one.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics says there are 66,400 airline pilots in the US in 2012. Interestingly enough, they predict a shrinkage of this sector to 62,100 persons in the next ten years. See-

Airline and Commercial Pilots : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

If this is the case, and the historical data shows a steady supply of atp-rated pilots (it does), then a pilot shortage would seem unlikely to develop if it hasn't already. In addition, one should find it interesting that if there are 146,000 possible active atps in the US, and only 66,400 airline pilot seats need to be filled this year, there is no pilot shortage indicated. At least not by this data.