Gransnet forums

Chat

Page 2 of 2 | First | Previous | Next | Last
| Flip | Customise |

What counts as being employed?

(30 Posts)
Add comment | Report
Eloethan Fri 05-Dec-14 10:34:18

On the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment's website I found the following:

"In general, anybody who carries out at least one hour’s paid work in a week, or who is temporarily away from a job (e.g. on holiday) is in employment. Also counted as in employment are people on government-supported training schemes and people who do unpaid work for their family’ business. Those who are out of work but do not meet the criteria of unemployment are economically inactive."

I was amazed that it's only necessary to work one hour a week in order to be classified as employed. One wonders also whether one of the purposes of the government supported training schemes is to remove those participating from the unemployment statistics.

Add comment | Report
durhamjen Sun 07-Dec-14 15:04:44

Eloethan, just reread your OP. That's how Osborne and Cameron could claim a rise in employment last week. I wish the opposition would make more noise about it.

Add comment | Report
Eloethan Sun 07-Dec-14 16:03:07

durhamjen Yes, why don't they? The figures are totally misleading.

Add comment | Report
FlicketyB Mon 08-Dec-14 21:40:32

I remember very clearly the first essay I was set in my first term at university studying eeonomics.

Essentially it asked 'If at a time of high unemployment one man by constant searching can find himself a job, why cannot all unemployed men?' The answer is obvious.

Similarly, if people lower their expectations, assuming that they are reasonable and well founded, that will not help. Employers are very unwilling to take on a graduate, for example, in a low paid clerical or retail permanent post because they believe, probably with justification, that they will continue to look for more appropriate work and will leave a low paid, low skill job as soon as they possible can.

Add comment | Report
FlicketyB Mon 08-Dec-14 21:41:26

para 1. line 1: it should, of course, be 'economics'

Page 2 of 2 | First | Previous | Next | Last
| Flip | Customise |