Unemployment down, inflation down..

So we have a considerable drop in unemployment..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26255696

Other good news is that we've never had more people in work in total, and the number of part time jobs has alos fallen, presumably people are moving from part to full time work..

Inflation is also down where it should be too

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26239631

And it seems that there is a modest but encouraging growth in wages, so hopefully that will climb a little above inflation soon.

Looking better all round. Let's hope it all continues.

Labour Fanboy excuses and snipes UP

but, in context. This is January's inflation rates and they are always down.

Don't forget a Sanction equates to Employment when they do the figures!

Don't forget a Sanction equates to Employment when they do the figures!

Does it? Show me the facts..not having a go it's a genuine request..are you saying that being sanctioned equates to someone being employed? Or just that they are no longer claiming..?

Funny how you can get the same statistics to show anything you want sometimes

according to the times, unemployment is up - not sure if you can link to the times so i've cut and pasted the relevant bit in their report

Unemployment edged up in the final quarter of last year to 7.2 per cent, taking economists by surprise and underscoring the Bank of England’s pledge this month to keep interest rates on hold for the foreseeable future.

The unemployment rate in the three months to December rose from 7.1 per cent in the three months to November, according to the Office for National Statistics. Compared with the three months to September, unemployment fell by 125,000 to 2.34 million as 193,000 new jobs were created.

i think it means that the actual number of people unemployed is less, but as a proportion of those able to work it is higher - but i could have that completely wrong

either way, it is good to see that the general trend appears to be in the right direction for most economic indicators

it depends on your party politics as to how much credit you want to give to the government and how much you think the pain of the last few years was worth it or how much you believe things have improved economically in spite of government policies rather than because of them and I really have no interest in the schoolyard level of party political debate you tend to see

as i have said before - any improvement is welcome irrespective of how it happened or who is responsible

edit - other statistics - there are 1.0m more people in full time employment than in 2010, the number of JSA claimants is down for the 15th consecutive months and average job vacancies are at 580,000 - 89,000 more than this time last year

You've been told why before

Don't forget a Sanction equates to Employment when they do the figures!

I'm interested in this as those who are on Sanction are still signed on. I notice a lot of blogs that make this claim but none I have read have given any firm evidence of this.

Labour dumped swaths of the population into incapacity benefit, marooning them without any hope of getting back into employment.

The tory's are putting these people back into the workforce and penalising those who are not making an effort to find work, but that's a whole other discussion and I have no wish to hijack this thread.

edit - other statistics - there are 1.0m more people in full time employment than in 2010, the number of JSA claimants is down for the 15th consecutive months and average job vacancies are at 580,000 - 89,000 more than this time last year

1.0m more in full time employment means just that and no extra jobs created.

JSA claimants down for the 15th consecutive month is probably right as the sanction scheme has been running about that long. All it means is some are no longer getting JSA.

How are average jobs vacancies measured?

I was told by an employment advisor that three quarters of the jobs available are not advertised. When asked how they know that the jobs are available when the are in fact not advertised he couldn't answer. His silence said plenty.

It all sounds good for electioneering sound bites.

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 15:03 ----------

I'm interested in this as those who are on Sanction are still signed on. I notice a lot of blogs that make this claim but none I have read have given any firm evidence of this.

 

People who are sanctioned don't sign on or receive benefit so are no longer on the register.

I was told by an employment advisor that three quarters of the jobs available are not advertised. When asked how they know that the jobs are available when the are in fact not advertised he couldn't answer. His silence said plenty.

 

It all sounds good for electioneering sound bites.

Im sorry but this makes no sense. Do you mean three quarters of the jobs advertised are not available.

The advisor may have been eluding to agencies advertising jobs on websites that do not exist. I know this happens and it was confirmed by the same job descriptor for different jobs being used a few months apart again and again by the same agency in different locations. They do it so they can tell prospective clients they have X number of CV's already on their database.

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 15:08 ----------

People who are sanctioned don't sign on or receive benefit so are no longer on the register.

This appears to be wrong. People on sanction are still signed on, but are penalised by way of the sanction. You do not need to go through the whole process of siging on to JSA when your sanction expires.

On this subject:

Latest figures [Nov 2013] show Jobseeker's Allowance claimants who failed to do enough to find work had their benefits payments suspended 580,000 times.

Minister for Employment Esther McVey said:

 

This government has always been clear that in return for claiming unemployment benefits jobseekers have a responsibility to do everything they can to get back into work. We are ending the something for nothing culture.

 

People who are in a job know that if they don’t play by the rules or fail to turn up in the morning, there might be consequences, so it’s only right that people on benefits should have similar responsibilities. We always make the rules very clear – it’s only right that there is a penalty if people fail to play by them.

This I completely agree with. If you cant be arsed to show up on time or apply for jobs, you do not deserve the help and support of the welfare state.

I'm interested in this as those who are on Sanction are still signed on.

That also was my understanding - you may be sanctioned but are still on the register and once the sanction finishes you then receive benefits again - there is no need to re-register. Ergo they should still appear as unemployed, not employed.

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 15:13 ----------

You've been told why before

No-one buys your protestations that the ONS/OBR/whatever is making the figures up. Especially not when you made up the figures yourslef in your claim about the economy halving last March.

Im sorry but this makes no sense. Do you mean three quarters of the jobs advertised are not available.

 

The advisor may have been eluding to agencies advertising jobs on websites that do not exist. I know this happens and it was confirmed by the same job descriptor for different jobs being used a few months apart again and again by the same agency in different locations. They do it so they can tell prospective clients they have X number of CV's already on their database.

No, he was a paid consultant for Wise Ability and was giving a lecture to the unemployed. He was basically trying to show that there are plenty of jobs available and the ones advertise were just a small percentage.

He didn't like it when I pointed out the flaw and said I was just being awkward!

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 15:19 ----------

That also was my understanding - you may be sanctioned but are still on the register and once the sanction finishes you then receive benefits again - there is no need to re-register. Ergo they should still appear as unemployed, not employed.

 

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 15:13 ----------

 

 

Sorry, although you may still be registered at the Jobcentre as you are not in receipt of benefits you are no longer on JSA as you have been suspended. That means you do no form part of the unemployment figures. To get JSA you must abide by their rules.

No, he was a paid consultant for Wise Ability and was giving a lecture to the unemployed. He was basically trying to show that there are plenty of jobs available and the ones advertise were just a small percentage.

 

He didn't like it when I pointed out the flaw and said I was just being awkward!

Oh right, I understand now, thanks. I suspect he was just trying to sound like he knows something when he doesn't.

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 16:03 ----------

Sorry, although you may still be registered at the Jobcentre as you are not in receipt of benefits you are no longer on JSA as you have been suspended. That means you do no form part of the unemployment figures. To get JSA you must abide by their rules.

Can you provide evidence to back this up. I see many people claiming this is the case but no one has yet provided any evidence to show this si the policy of the government statistics.