Eight million have no job (and don’t even want one)

By
Becky Barrow
Last updated at 8:35 AM on 12th November 2009

The number of people who do not have a job - and are not bothering
to look for one - has soared to its highest since records began in
1971. A record 7.9million - one in five people of working age - are ‘ economically inactive’.
That is more than the entire population of Greater London.
Tories called the figures from the Office for National
Statistics ‘ shocking’ and said they exposed an ‘ alarming trend’.
Theresa May, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: ‘A culture of
worklessness has become rife in pockets of Brown’s Britain.
Struggling: The number of 18 to 24-year-olds visiting job centres, like above, is rising as 943,000 people in this age group are out of work - a rate of 19.8 per cent’It is shocking that one in five people of working age is
economically inactive and that five million people have never worked
under this government. ‘Labour’s decision to duck the real challenge of welfare reform over the past decade has fuelled this alarming trend.’
There are seven groups of economic inactivity - students,
looking after family/home, temporary sick, long-term sick, discouraged,
retired or ‘other.’

While some people are legitimately out of the jobs market, such as mothers looking after young children, many are not.
Nearly 75,000 people are ‘ discouraged’ workers, which means
they are not looking for a job because they do not believe one is
available.
More than two million are classed as ‘long-term sick’, even though they
may actually be fit to work. Some 2.6million claim Incapacity Benefit
and its replacement Employment and Support Allowance at a cost of more
than £12billion a year.Experts say many of the inactive are simply swindling the State out of millions in benefits. There has been a recession-driven boom in benefit fraud, with the amount of money paid to cheats up £300million last year. The figures show that 4.8million people of working age live in a home where no one holds down a job.  ’Low earners are being hit hard by the recession. This report shows that low earners will continue to lose jobs,
homes and get into financial trouble unless further support is
available’
They have been dubbed the ‘Shameless’ generation of benefit addicts.
The ONS also revealed that unemployment is still rising, although at a significantly slower pace than in recent months. The jobless total rose 30,000 between July and September to 2.46million, the smallest increase for 18 months, and only a fraction of the rise of 250,000 in the spring.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by 12,900 to 1.64million, the highest since Labour came to power in 1997.
Ministers trumpeted a rise in the numbers in work, but experts said the overall picture was far from rosy. An increasing proportion of jobs are parttime, and usually lower-paid with fewer perks and little job security.
The ONS said women are being hit far harder than men by job losses.
During the quarter, 75,000 women lost full-time jobs, compared to 41,000 men.
Ian Brinkley, associate director of The Work Foundation, said: ‘For many, especially the young and those in the private sector, there are still many months of job losses and insecurity to come.’
The new figures also confirmed fears about a crisis among young people, with nearly a million between 16 and 24 unemployed.
It is a record rate of 19.8 per cent, though the figure includes some 250,000 students who count as unemployed if they look for part-time work.
LibDem spokesman Steve Webb said: ‘It is a national disgrace that one in five 16 to 24 year-olds are now unemployed.
‘We cannot afford to write off a whole generation in this way.
‘For months young people have heard promises from the Government of jobs that will not materialise until next year at the earliest - which will be too late.’

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We only get one life.
Why spend it doing a job you don’t enjoy, and die of stress?
Time is our most precious resource.
- alibongo, dorset uk, 12/11/2009 10:57

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Over qualified has appeared on this comments page. Been there got the T shirt.
What is means is I am not giving you the job you might end up being my boss.
All jobs have a skill factor to them that is below the skills of the person reading the CV who is probably Polish anyway.
- John Butt, Canvey Island, 12/11/2009 10:54

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I had a specific type of car, it broke down and I will never buy that type of car again.
Although 99% of people drive this car and have no problems with it.. am I representing the users globally of this car?
Peoples individual circumstances never sound bad but multiply them by 800,000 and..
e.g I have a disability (bad knee) since I fell of my ladder cleaning windows, I have 6 children and my wife works part-time in a shop. Irrespective of this sad situation, the rest of the country have to pay me to get me through the day, week, years.
Will the six children all get jobs as doctors, lawyers or senior engineers and help mum and dad out????
Picture Harry Hill by a desk, turning to the left, saying whats the chances of that happening..
- Huw, Wales, 12/11/2009 10:51

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I have read a number of negative comments about unemployed people. My position was made redundant earlier this year, and I was seeking work for 5 months before I eventually found a 2 month temporary contract - which I took. Having completed that contract I now find myself loooking for work again. I have applied for numerous positions and have been unable to secure another one as of yet. So to all those hammering the unemployed as if we are all bone idle I find your comments very insulting. I am very frustrated by all of this and I think you will find there are many, many more who feel the same way.
- Adrian Woon, Plymouth, UK, 12/11/2009 10:47

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ah the good old lazy basta-ds argument. it’s funny how people are quite happy to accept that their leaders pay themselves huge amounts of money whilst the rest of us are expected to work for peanuts. pride is easily exploited, and has been very effectively by the upper classes. the old saying “well, i may be poor but at least i can hold my head up”. RUBBISH. if you want everyone to work then pay them a decent wage. this country has poured money into banks and high finance whilst ignoring manufacturing completely. 9 billion for the hop skip and jump olympics but nothing for the british grand prix. lots of money for expences but nothing for real jobs. we will have to eventually accept that, there arent real jobs for real people anymore. expecting someone to go from a proffession to pushing trolleys round asda car park is not realistic.
- noel w, derby, 12/11/2009 10:47

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David Short, Tunis, Tunisia, 12/11/2009
Your attitude to Mick Blair of Thailand is very aggressive, has he struck a chord? Are you one of the scroungers who has not contributed but expects to take? I don’t think Mick or anyone else on this forum consider those genuinely long term ill and those who have retired as scroungers. We are thinking of those who choose not to work or who have children they cannot support. Why shouldn’t those of us who have worked our entire lives be more than a bit upset by this inequality. If I was going to take money out of my pocket and give it to someone else it would go to someone who deserved it. I live in Tyne and Wear and have worked for nearly 30 years. Yet I look around here and see people who have spend 10, 20, 30 or more years living on benefits. They have taken them as a lifestyle choice. They are a complete waste of space and should be made to do 20 hours a week minimum doing community work to earn their benefits.
- Natalie Francis, Newcastle upon Tyne, 12/11/2009 10:42

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