In my experience, they are most interested in unemployment while not earning an education. However, you never know who is reading it and what kind of "stickler" they are, so I recommend putting references for periods of unemployment after high school.

There is a limit on the unemployed period (example: unemployed for longer than 90 days) so if you were in classes thereby not making the full period as unemployed then there is no reason for the references. Did that just make sense?

What exactly is your concern? What is the unemployment length whereby they require these references? Are these professional or personal references?

Lori