Unemployment

martinwitnam

So the level of unemployment has risen to an eleven year high but can anyone answer the question I have. What is the level of employment? If there are 2 million people unemployed how many people are actually employed?

SCR Pedro

Hey there,

I think I heard it mentioned on the news that it is 5% of people that are able to work. I could be wrong, but I don't care. It doesn't help me find a job. Lousy recession.

Pedro

Amos

According to the CIA it seems that the UK workforce is just over 30 million https://www.cia.gov/library/publication ... nt/uk.html

chuckcork

martinwitnam wrote:

So the level of unemployment has risen to an eleven year high but can anyone answer the question I have. What is the level of employment? If there are 2 million people unemployed how many people are actually employed?

Numbers in this type of discussion can vary and the whole thing becomes fun for politicians who love rubber numbers.

If my missus can earn enough for us both, so I don't bother with the labour exchange thing as I'd rather look after my daughter than earn cr*p money that doesn't cover childcare costs after tax (and wouldn't get any help from the government as family income is too high), but would rather be working full time if I can find something in my profession, am I unemployed?

The participation rate, the number of people actually looking for work and in work, can vary at times, so you might get lower employment if people give up looking, which pollies might describe as a fall in unemployment, even though it has occured without an increase in employment.

Then there are 'seasonally adjusted' unemployment rates< i understand the concept of this but if a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 5% yet 5.3% of the workforce are out of a job, does that mean when the weather changes .3% will have a job again....?

You also have the question of what 'employment' means. If I was working say 2 hours a week, I would not really consder that much of a job (unless it was at a Jonathan Ross rate, HOW MUCH EXACTLY DOES HE GET PER HOUR FOR BEING A DEADSHIT?) but that might be enough to call me employed. Pollies aren't really interested in whether you are under-employed and want a full time job.