What’s yer unemployment like, as a nation?
Late,
grmpysmrf
Quite bad at present: just under 450,000 out of full time work and on welfare. Population is about 4.5 million, adults of work force age about 2.8 million
[reply] What’s yer unemployment like, as a nation?
Late,
grmpysmrf
Quite bad at present: just under 450,000 out of full time work and on welfare. Population is about 4.5 million, adults of work force age about 2.8 million[/reply]
Damn yer in the same boat as the US. Now, is there a work shortage or a worker shortage? Cause here it’s a work shortage but the right is trying to spin it like its a worker shortage. “The jobs are out there folks you just gotta stop being lazy and go get one! Of course I don’t blame you for sitting at home and collectibg a check the way obama wants you to.” They want to call everyone lazy who won’t work 22 hours a day for half a cent!
Damn shame,
Late,
grmpysmrf
It’s a work shortage. A lot of people lost their job in the past three years due to a collapse in the construction industry, which was an integral part of the economic boom that occured about 10 - 12 years ago. Of course predicating an economic turnaround on the construction industry is idiocy supreme; dissenters were told to shut up (even kill themselves), caution and versatility went out the window. Young lads left school early or didn’t go to college because they could get immediate work on building sites that were very well paid (and spent their wages at the weekend getting planked and getting young ones knocked up and then the young ones get the welfare… [:P]). All the trades were in tow and so many carpenters, electricians, and plumbers have struggled big time.
But even in “good” times (it was just a bubble really) there wasn’t a great spread of jobs, particularly in the arts. A number of computer and medical firms were in operation and most still are so it has a bit of specialised work. The public sector is too big (and not doing enough work); the new gov. knew this was a problem and there were rumblings that they’d have to scale it back before they took office but there was an immediate backlash and they chickened out. Some unions are not helping, refusing any notion of pay cuts for public sector workers yet still demanding pay increases (some of which were promised before economy tanked) while private sector has f**k all support. They argue that they are not responsible for the problems in the country at present (a very small percentage of them are culpable) but yet they have benefitted inordinately from all the shady stuff going on in the past 10 years - land rezoning skipping due protocol, extra money flowing into county councils = pay rises + bonuses. Other public workers (teachers, nurses) shouldn’t be targeted the same for cuts (even though some teachers + nurses are useless) but because unions are taking the one line, with some unions representing across the public sector, they won’t consider any reform. It’s always easy to blame the gov. but the problems the country has now (unemployment, inefficiency, emmigration) are a direct result of gov. policies since the 90s. This party got decimated in the last election but the problems they created are still there.
Anyway, load of tangents there, sorry. I’m trying to leave the country… again.
So are we to assume that the “Yeahs” have won this thread since no other points have been countered since Gunnar rendered his closing argument?
Late,
grmpysmrf
I am a lawyer, after all.
So are we to assume that the “Yeahs” have won this thread since no other points have been countered since Gunnar rendered his closing argument?
Late,
grmpysmrf
Nope.