Everybody is aware of the a steep rise in unemployment. The latest figure shows 2.2 million out of work; 7.1% of the workforce. However, the TUC has highlighted what might be described as under-employment: people who want full-time employment being forced to take part-time work because that is all they can get.
It appears that one in nine people in part-time work are in this situation (11.2%). There are 829,000 ‘involuntary part-timers’. One in five men working part-time are doing so because they cannot get a full-time job; double the level for women. Twenty seven percent of vacancies in job centers are for 16 hours or less.
The recession if hitting young people particularly hard. The unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds has now reached 15.1%. There are 438,000 young people claiming job seekers allowance.
In January 2008, vacancies were 43% of the number of unemployed (ILO unemployed). This has now fallen so that in January 2009, vacancies were 24% of the unemployed and in March.
Martin Wicks 