The UK’s employment figures hit a 30 year high but the BBC play it down.
The headline here gets in the 2.53 million unemployed figure ….but shouldn’t the headline be ‘Employment at Record High’? or would that just give the Tories too much credit? No such reluctance when giving the figures for temperatures when they reach ‘record highs’.
It was interesting following the BBC’s coverage of the release of the unemployment figures……reporting the ‘good news’….but then came the ‘buts’.
The first line was that youth unempoyment was still terrible under the Coalition…however that line had to be rapidly dropped as they realised that the fall in unemployment was mostly down to youth employment rising.
The next line was that there was still far too many long term unemployed but that didn’t really have much resonance…shame as it was the basis for Labour’s counter-attack.
The next line was that well yes employment has gone up but you know what it’s all part time jobs or self employed people or temporary work….painters and decorators, gardeners, window cleaners…you know, the type of jobs desperate people take when the economy is in such dire shape…as it is under this Tory government.
Guess the BBC is trying to keep the economy on an even keel and not allowing you to get your hopes up too much and start seeing green shoots where there are none….don’t want you to be disappointed when your expectations are dashed….because as we know the economy is only getting worse under George Osborne’s misguided rule.
About a quarter of the million yoof unemployed are students – so not really ‘unemployed’ as such.
Don’t expect the genetically impartial BBC to volunteer that information anytime soon.
As I commented on the latest Open Thread, the bBBC has not reported the news from Barchester Healthcare. They have had 450 youth apprenticeship places open since February but so far have only recruited 72 under-25s onto the scheme, and have 960 work-experience placements available but only 50 young people have taken up the challenge.
Despite Labour and the unions saying the six-week work placements are ‘slavery’, they actually pay £4 an hour on top of the unemployment benefits (job-seekers’ allowance) and about 90% of the youngsters get a job at the end of their six weeks. The apprenticeships are paid, last one or two years and give the youngsters qualifications and transferable skills as well as work.
Some of the jobs are to work directly with care-home residents, and others to train as chefs, gardeners, receptionists and administrative staff.
Barchester Healthcare say that kids don’t want to work, turn up late (or not at all) for interview, swear, and prefer to scrounge benefits.
Peston and Flanders were seeing green shots rather often when Gordon Brown was in power, even as the economy continued to stagger. Why not now? I suppose everything was going great until Osborne got the keys to the Treasury, where he was told by Labour there’s no money left?
Strange that they saw Green Shoots isn’t it during Brown’s tenure and constantly whacking the tories over youth unemployment. Although this article is about comparing to the Eurozone check out the youth unemployment stats . More importantly check out the spike from 14-19%:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/nov/16/youth-unemployment-rising-eurozone-crisis
STrange that they’ve never had much to say about one Gordon Brown’s leadership and youth unemployment.
Good link – thanks. Nothing like a few facts to resolve an argument. Not that you’ll see these reported by the bBBC, of course – they’ll just continue peddling the Labour line which, basically, is yet another Ministry of Truth re-write of history.
2nd link is incomplete David.
Sorry, thanks. Here it is
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8150625.stm
It serves the Tories right just as much as Labour .
Nowhere is there a mention of the millions of new (im)migrants from Eastern EUrope and bogus asylum seekers . Yes , they do “take our jobs ” , unless they are on benefits .
As the Tories dont even want to talk about the problem (because it stems from EUrope ) they deserve the brickbats that go with it .
I completely agree. We are running to stand still, as it were. How can anyone expect a significant fall in unemployment when immigration is still wildly out of control? Never gets a mention, though, by any of the major parties. Is this some form of self-censorship? Political correct straitjacketing? It’s surreal.
Er, ‘politically correct…’
Are you mad? Do you not expect people to read the link? There is no bias here whatsoever. Your reading is as warped as a warped thing.
Alan, really avoid economics issues. You just embarrass yourself.
As a socialist, you should avoid them too.
Hello Jim!
Here are just a few stories that the BBC aren`t bothering with.
1. How is it that a murderer can take a policeman to the body, but somehow this is “inadmissible evidence,” because his rights had not been read to him, en route?
2. Al Gore, Obama, E.U-why is it that these are the latest Nobel Peace Prize winners?
3. Why wasn`t Nick Griffin not given an Investigative Reporter of the Year Award for revealing the existence of child abuse rings featuring Muslims with kebab shops and off-licences? Instead , he is maybe in trouble for telling us all about the gay couple-who managed to stay anonymous long enough to get the B&B owners “crucified” with threats and hate mail?
4. These MPs who have properties in London, but prefer to rent them out to fellow MPs; as they pocket expenses for renting…who are they Jim?…why is this allowed….and is there any chance that a few of them will be Labour?
5. Why is “pleb” a sacking word, but “toff” or “posh boy” are prefectly OK?
6. What news on this Newsnight email then-the Times seemed to lead with it, but the BBC have yet to mention it…but seem very keen to get Broadmoor, NHS and charitites to get as much blame as possible?
7. Why is it bad to handle hacked texts, but OK to handle leaked police logs that are surely confidential?
This was MY week of news Jim….but your BBC seem we`d rather not bother with any of this ?
As for historical causes of energy shambles, of West Coast Rail links etc-those 1997-2010 years seem to have been tippexed over…any ideas why Jim Dandy?
They can’t mention highest for 30 years or people would realise that was just after Margaret Thatcher and looking at the graphs would realise there was growing employment: anything that could possible reflect well on her is to be avoided.
Apparently Balls is now claiming there was no structural deficit when Labour left power.
Combine that one with Miliband’s claim on the bBBC the other week – unchallenged, of course – that Labour left public debt and deficit lower than those they inherited in 1997, not to mention Labour’s shameless and unrelenting propaganda on youth unemployment, and you wonder how anyone can vote for such a bunch of lying, country-wrecking shysters.
Good point for Jim Dandy above!
ANOTHER story to add to the 7 I`ve already noted that the BBC seem to have missed-Lord knows why eh?
BBC miss story abou slate fallig off roof in East Grinstead. Clearly bias against Tory strongholds…
I assume that the great minds at work here are aware that you can’t make much a life or career r make commitments on part time work. So these jobs are not having any real impact as the people taking them have no disposable income. So the recovery stil never happens.
Simple economics seems quite beyond the rants!
Prole, that dopey analogy works only if the BBC did find time to report shingles falling off in three or four Labour constituencies.
Nearly a fair point about part-time jobs, though, until you start advocating against their existence. It’s not feasible for all jobs everywhere to be full time with the usual compensation package. Economics is indeed tricky like that. Plus, didn’t they lower the minimum earnings necessary to start getting pensions in the interests of helping working women?
Visited 3d print show in London yesterday. I’m trying to to raise finance and interest to develop high tech incubator workshops where local designers and entrepreneurs can rent technology and develop products. The future is not in the hands of any govt but local people developing local businesses yet selling globally. Can’t see any politician understanding as most are careerists without knowledge of how hard things are. Sheltering behind stats avoids reality.
Your most (only?) sensible post to date, Prole. Like it.
Did you actually listen to the prof being interviewed this morning re the part time jobs? Or does your hearing only function within BBC voice frequencies?
Jeez, man, get a mind of your own.