I've never been out of work unless I've chose to have time off.

They say there are so many million folk out of work, does this include folk who aren't actively looking for work, whether that be for 1 week or a lifetime?

I was made redundant at the end of May and chose to take 2 months off, I didn't sign on or anything but was officially out of work.

I am now back in employment and once actively looking only took me 2 weeks to find a good job. I have been watching the news who says that the immigrants are taking our jobs, I've not seen any of this evidence? I've seen alot of immigrants working but then I found a job very quickly too???

I'm confused, would I have been one of the millions classed as unemployed even though I chose to spend June and July sitting in the garden, watching the World Cup and Wiimbledon and drinking vast amounts of booze?

Gosh I'm wafflling!!!

Peardrops.

If you was unemployed than yes you are classed as unemployed..

So that means that the figures they banter around on the news etc are actually much to be worried about? I wasn't looking for work, I was living on my redundancy money and didn't claim a thing.

I've often wondered about these figures.

Quite simply it is the number of people who are out of work, and have to claim Jobseeker's Allowance. Those on other benefits who may be out of paid work (you can still qualify for some benefits while IN work; and home making with a working partner can still be a bloody hard job at times, but you aren't unemployed), are not counted in the unemployment figures.

I've never been out of work unless I've chose to have time off.

They say there are so many million folk out of work, does this include folk who aren't actively looking for work, whether that be for 1 week or a lifetime?
Usually those signing on for jobseekers' allowance
I was made redundant at the end of May and chose to take 2 months off, I didn't sign on or anything but was officially out of work. Some statistics include an 'economically inactive' figure, you would be part of that
I am now back in employment and once actively looking only took me 2 weeks to find a good job. I have been watching the news who says that the immigrants are taking our jobs, I've not seen any of this evidence? My niece who works in HR for a veg.packing company in Scotland is currently recruiting in Poland - as they can't get local labour! Varies across different parts of the country
I've seen alot of immigrants working but then I found a job very quickly too??? Me too, redundant in June aged 60, took a couple of months off and start a new job v.soon. There are loads of vacancies - most of us could work if we really wanted to!
I'm confused, would I have been one of the millions classed as unemployed even though I chose to spend June and July sitting in the garden, watching the World Cup and Wiimbledon and drinking vast amounts of booze? Gosh I'm wafflling!!!
Peardrops.
I just hope you enjoyed your obviously welcome break - I know I did!

I didn't sign on or anything but was officially out of work.
.

If you don't sign on then there is no way of knowing that you are unemployed so you are really "unofficially" unemployed. You won't show up in the stats. Of the many people who are officially unemployed and show up on the stats there are a great number that will get a job quite quickly, like you but who sign on in between. However, there are many people who don't work but don't show up because governments (the Tories as well as Labour) have become rather good at getting people off the books into schemes or education.