Good news – unemployment falls
Bad news – Only by 0.1%
The coalition has driven some tough measures forward to try and get the country back on an even footing. A subjective and divisive statement if ever there was one. I see the pain that it is causing but I remember the past just as clearly and the benefit of hindsight is that if we can stick with it, everyone will benefit, eventually. I have concerns that the truly vulnerable might,will, or are, falling between the cracks of welfare policy and I think more work needs to be done on providing a funnel for this demographic to be filtered and aided correctly.
Factoring unemployment statistics. If you play with a figure long enough it can be construed as something it may not be. It still remains the same number but the factoring of the figure will tell you a different story;
Factors:
Welfare Benefits Cut and constrained
Age of Retirement increased
Seasonal Adjustment
Part Time Work increasing
Full Time Work decreasing
Conclusion? There is a definitely a trend occurring but like everything else, interpretation is down to you.
Here are some other trends:
1992 – 2012 Year on year unemployment statistics:
2,000,040 Average number of people unemployed over the period to date (Feb 2012)
970,000 Largest fall in unemployment in a Paliamentry term (Conservative, Major February 93 – May 97)
390,000 Largest fall in unemployment in one year (Conservative, Major, February 94 – May 95)
440,000 Largest increase in one year (Labour, Brown, January 08 – January 09)
1,400,000 Lowest number of unemployed (Labour, Blair, September & October 2004)
410,000 Fastest Rise in unemployment (Labour, Brown, January – July 2009)
1,200.000 Largest negative change in one term (Labour Blair/Brown May 05 – May 10)
But as we all know, figures are subjective and the term, Unemployment, needs to addressed. The coalition intends to give the UK a breakdown of tax spend as part of the vehicle of openness. What I see is further opportunity to explore what has been adjusted a multitude of times. We can but hope.