2,029,000 on the dole

amcluesent

Unemployment Rises Over Two Million Mark

UK unemployment has risen above the two million mark as the recession bites harder.

Perhaps more alarming is the recent surge in people claiming unemployment benefit, with 138,000 signing on in February - the biggest rise since records began in 1971.

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "The outlook for unemployment is worsening and there is an urgent need for action. At this rate, unemployment looks set to reach 3.2 million in 2010."

The jobless rate jumped to 6.5% in the three months to January, with 2.029 million people out of work, the Office for National Statistics said.

Labour's not working. Again.

PasturesNew

It's be 2,029,001 but I don't sign on, but I am looking for work

I remember unemployment being 3 million when I was 18 and looking for my first job.

Dr_DiNg_DoNg

not exactly a nuclear event is it.

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's be 2,029,001 but I don't sign on, but I am looking for work

I remember unemployment being 3 million when I was 18 and looking for my first job.

IIRC, unemployment under the Tories rose above 3,000,000 twice, once in the early-mid eighties recession when the Government (rightly) stopped subsidising loss making companies and drove inflation out of the system and then again in the early-mid nineties after Lawson screwed uop.

amcluesent

The headline is 2M on the dole, but counting up IB claimants and the like, it's more like 8M of working age are idle. No wonder those of still waged (for how long?) are being bled white with taxation.

PasturesNew

Generali wrote: »

IIRC, unemployment under the Tories rose above 3,000,000 twice, once in the early-mid eighties recession when the Government (rightly) stopped subsidising loss making companies and drove inflation out of the system and then again in the early-mid nineties after Lawson screwed uop.

It's funny how your memory plays tricks when you get old, I recall it being from 1979/1980, but I could well be wrong... it could equally have occurred in my first 3 years of working.

I don't keep notes, just some random memories.

Graham_Devon

The figures between now and back in the late 80's / early 90's are wildly screwed up now anyway.

The comparisons are hard to make, as labour have peddled the 16 hour thing, which means 2 people employed for one full time job and then propping them up on Income Support.

Also, labour have peddled the self employment route for workers, meaning we have loads of self employed out there, who can't neccesarily sign on yet, but are out of work.

Given just those 2 reasons above, its very difficult to compare the 3 million and 2 million.

Two, sometimes 3 people are now employed under one job, because it would be financially penalising for them to work any longer than 16 hours a week.

There would be a hell of a lot more today on the dole if conditions were the same as they were when 3 million were on it.

Considering the above, if we get near 3 million again, that really is a whole new level of 3 million given the conditions we work in now and a whole lot more damning than the 3 million in the 80's/90's.

donaldtramp

Crash Brown has done it again!

No more boom and bust eh?
No it's been redefined to "all crash and catastrophe".

Well done Gordon. I don't want to hear any nonsense about the Torys either. They haven't been in power for 11 years!!!
Nope this is all down to Broon and labours policies.
An absolute disgrace.

PasturesNew

... back .. got held up by Homes under the Hammer

Anyway. UB40 released "1 in 10" in 1981, but it would have obviously been thought about and written before then by a bit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_in_Ten

chucky

Dr_DiNg_DoNg wrote: »

not exactly a nuclear event is it.

That's a 93.5% employment rate then - Was expecting worse during a recession.

"The jobless rate jumped to 6.5% in the three months to January, with 2.029 million people out of work, the Office for National Statistics said."

nickmason

Graham_Devon wrote: »

The comparisons are hard to make, as labour have peddled the 16 hour thing, which means 2 people employed for one full time job and then propping them up on Income Support.

That's interesting. Have you got any more details?

Also, labour have peddled the self employment route for workers, meaning we have loads of self employed out there, who can't neccesarily sign on yet, but are out of work.

Is this true? I've found the self-employment route more and more difficult for individuals - I thought the gov was trying to push people towards being PAYE.

Can you substantiate?