Jobs - Vacancies Outnumber Unemployed?

[L00b]

On 17/05/2022 at 14:41, Anna B said:

Job vacancies outnumber the number of unemployed for the first time, according to the BBC lunchtime news. 

 

(…)

 

Your thoughts?

 

There’s half a million less people in work in the UK currently, relative to 2 years ago.

 

 

That is all.

[El Cid]

18 minutes ago, L00b said:

There’s half a million less people in work in the UK currently, relative to 2 years ago.

How many are working, how many are seeking work and how many are "ill"?

Compared to fourty years ago?

[Guest sibon]

15 minutes ago, El Cid said:

How many are working, how many are seeking work and how many are "ill"?

Compared to fourty years ago?

Quite a few have just given up and are living on savings, investments and reduced pensions. 

 

Quite a brain drain.

[L00b]

11 hours ago, El Cid said:

How many are working, how many are seeking work and how many are "ill"?

Compared to fourty years ago?

”There’s half a million less people working in the UK relative to 2 years ago”

 

Q: how many are working?

A: relative to what? the half-million I mentioned? none of those, obviously.

 

Q: how many are seeking work?

A: current unemployed total in UK is around 1.25m, inclusive of that 500k in whole or part (keeping sibon’s post in mind).

 

Q: how many are “ill”?

A: whether people are “ill” or not, makes no difference to their employment status, last I checked.

 

I’ll pass on the ‘fourty years ago’ until it gets translated into earthly timescale.

[Guest]

On 17/05/2022 at 13:41, Anna B said:

 

Job vacancies outnumber the number of unemployed for the first time, according to the BBC lunchtime news. 

(although Local news, same broadcast, however say there are 4+ applicants for every vacancy.)

 

If the top figures are correct, that should be good news shouldn't it? Yet we hear that companies can't get staff, so what's the problem? Minimum wage is supposed to be £9.50 per hour, so you'd think people  would be snatching their hand off.

 

Personally I think it's the quality of those jobs that is the problem. I suspect that they are the 0 hours, insecure, contract jobs that don't last long, and that you can't work your way up in, but what do I know....

 

Your thoughts?

 

It's not that simple. Above its only partially true. But let me tell you from my perspective, I am in UK for almost 7 years now and changed several jobs. There are, as you said, modern sweatshops, some of the warehouses, outsourcing companies etc. But there is also number of people with little or almost no working discipline. Talking about coming on the work on time, actually doing what you get paid for without slacking, constant "sick leave" because of hangovers etc. I have done the jobs that you mentioned as "sweatshops", just as a stepping stone for another, better job. 

 

I am not saying that you are not right, but there is a flip side of that coin.

[Anna B]

51 minutes ago, croat77 said:

It's not that simple. Above its only partially true. But let me tell you from my perspective, I am in UK for almost 7 years now and changed several jobs. There are, as you said, modern sweatshops, some of the warehouses, outsourcing companies etc. But there is also number of people with little or almost no working discipline. Talking about coming on the work on time, actually doing what you get paid for without slacking, constant "sick leave" because of hangovers etc. I have done the jobs that you mentioned as "sweatshops", just as a stepping stone for another, better job. 

 

I am not saying that you are not right, but there is a flip side of that coin.

Oh I agree, there is a flip side to everything. 

For a start all statistics are suspect and can be interpreted any way you like. So the initial statement could well be wrong, also the situation is very different up and down the country which makes a nonsense of it, and certainly the work ethic has changed and been eroded in some cases. I think we have to ask ourselves the question 'why?'

 

The new 'industries' like Distribution centres are something I have little knowledge of, other than what I've read or watched, which is why I put a thread on here asking for the worker's point of view, ('Working in a Distribution Centre') but it got very little response. I wonder if the young people who work there don't use Sheffield Forum, aren't interested, or are too tired/scared to respond.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Anna B