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The truths they don't want you to read....

Monday, March 16, 2009

Unemployment rate

A simple table portrays the seriousness of the situation.....
    JOBSEEKERS PER VACANCY
    Isle of Wight - 60
    Western Isles - 44
    Blaenau Gwent - 42
    Rhondda, Cynon, Taff - 36
    Hackney - 36
    Lewisham - 34
    Argyll & Bute - 31
    Greenwich - 30
    Lambeth - 29
    South Tyneside - 28
    Source: TUC

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Angus,

Whilst in no way wishing to belittle the sorry state of the employment market here or any where else you have chosen (and as an accountant you should no better) to use raw data for your statistics - which you equally know can be manipulated by the user to prove his or her point.

Yes there are 44 unemployed chasing that one job in the Western Isles compared to 28 for one in South Tyneside. What your 2D stats overlook is quantity.

Now if we add quantity and show that there were 176 unemployed in Stornoway chasing 4 jobs compared to 17,600 unemployed in South Tyneside chasing 628 jobs it shows the depth of the problem in far greater human terms than a simple ratio figure.

No one who wishes work should be in this sad position but the use of raw stats to beat one's own chest in dispair here in the Islands is a bit cheap.

One other point. The Isle of Wight and the Western Isles have one thing in common and its not the weather! Huge population of near retirement folk often from out with the locality. If they are like my neighbours in their late 50s they will have signed on for what ever benefits they can claw from the system whilst actually not wishing to work - but that I was able to do so. Their superior affluence has permitted this life style. They very much distort the figures negitively when in fact the atual number of those actually wanting work is a lot less.

There are no real jobs at present and for those wishing work that is very sad, BUT there are a considerable number of folk who for varying reasons in addition to age as above, and more alike to idleness, sickness and inability; who do not work, cannot work or will not work.

When the demos start at the Job centre or at the Comhairle I will take aboard your point. Until then Anus try and avoid that aura and trait of negativity to all things Hebridean that you are becoming increasingly trapped in.

Still like your site though.

Anonymous said...

Lets hope Arnish, Scalpay and the proposed re-opening of Lighthouse Caledonia's Factory all come to fruition. 2D, manipulated stats, who cares - It is very bleak indeed for anyone wanting to find employment

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:33
Tell your story to the ex employees of Arnish, Lighthouse Caledonia and Woolies who have no hope of finding anything up here even at minimum wage. I hope that if you know of people who are "working the system" that you ensure they are reported so that they stop taking from those who need it more.
Last but not least, I'm sure you didn't mean to leave the "g" out of Angus and think you owe him an apology. It might be worth keeping an eye on the spelling though....

Anonymous said...

I agree scroungers should not be tolerated, but you make it sound 9:12pm that if those who really don't need the income i.e scroungers where not claiming then there would be more for those with legitmate claims. This will never happen. Whilst the pot of money for the 'dole' is not bottomless those claiming it do not get more just because there are less people claiming it.

Anonymous said...

Not a great crop of candidates, IMNSHO. I've just posted my form and could only bring myself to vote for two this time. I've always picked five up till now.

Anonymous said...

Oops, 10:56 should be in the Sy Trust thread...

Anonymous said...

Yes, lets hope Scalpay opens up and puts some boys in Uist out of a job!

No brainer or what?