So, we are all aware – hopefully, anyway – of the rising unemployment figures in this country. This is fantastic, especially with the public sector pay freeze and job cuts. A post over at ‘The Slog’ yesterday mentioned:
by the time newer unemployment claimants start getting the dole, around 25% of the net cuts made per annum will almost certainly be wiped out.
Which is probably something to take into account. They are trying to stop bleeding money from the public sector but if you think about it, what happens when they lay off all of those public sector workers? They either try and find a job in the private sector or they go on the doll.
across all regions of the UK, public sector employment fell….by an average of 4.4%. Further good news is that private sector employment levels have risen: but only by an average of 1.25%.
And there’s your stats on that one. From the ONS itself comes the facts: it just ain’t happening. Because the fact that the private sector employment levels have risen by 1.25% is good but, when you think about it, they don’t all have to be public sector workers that are getting those jobs. That figure is for public sector workers moving to the private sector, young employees moving from nothing into the private sector (but really, not that many of them…) and a variety of other scenarios. Meaning that at least some of those 4.4% of public sector cuts have given up and are now sitting at home claiming unemployment benefits. Meaning, as quoted above, you can say goodbye to around 25% of net cuts made per annum. I’ll make a guess now – The Chancellor won’t make this point in whatever media he is seen in next. He will make a point of the public sector spending dropping which has to happen for him to keep some job security, but he won’t mention what part is from job cuts.
Or, maybe they will just change how the jobless figures are calculated, citing a fairer, more balanced or more true figure. I’ll be watching for that one.
Ahh, Mr. Osbourne. Keep on trucking.
The Media Cynic 
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