Rise in the unemployed continues to slow.

Entertainer

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I believe the figures are based on contribution based JSA, so Generali could be right.

Could make it look like a fall as they move on to another benefit, which does not count for the purposes the report was based on.

Certainly it's weird that in an environment where unemployment is rising, and in a month where a further 21,000 find themselves unemployed, the people claiming JSA goes down.

No, the claimant count includes all JSA claimants both contributions based and means tested.

What is striking is now the enormous disparity between the Labour Force Survey figures which includes unemployed people who are not elegible for benefits and the claimant count- nearly 900,000 or 50% more. Basically, the claimant count is now redundant as so many people are not elegible for benefits.

Hilariously though, yesterday you had Yvette Cooper trumpeting the claimant count fall and completely airbrushing the LFS figures despite the fact that for years her colleagues have been saying the LFS is the credible statistic.

It is very surprising that unemployment has not risen more given the depths of the recession but it appears that many employers are putting workers on part time hours and cutting their wages rather than laying them off. This is good in one sense in that it keeps the headline unemployment figures down (and allows Brown and co to claim credit for something that is nothing to do with them) but it also means prospects for jobs growth going forward are impaired if they are carrying extra workers, as well as reducing people's pay. And it is also hammering productivity which will make British business even less competitive.