19 Comments »

1. The unempoloyment figures are a fiddle as the longterm unemployed are being forced onto new deal workplacements for which they get jsa and an allowance = to 50p per hour and have to do 30 hours a week for 13 weeks as they do not sign on during this period they are not counted as unemployed therefore the figures go down all new deal was created for was to exploit the unemployed and force them onto these placements which do not lead to a full time job but refusal to do a placement results in loss of benefit for 6 months

   Comment by jsmith — 19 Jan 2005 on 12:20 pm | Link

2. If Gordon Brown ever becomes prime minister god help the unemployed of this country he will force the unemployed to do "Work for the benefit of the community" in return for benefit and compulsory job clubs wher claimants will be forced to apply for all the dross jobs just to get them off benefit

   Comment by jbrown — 19 Jan 2005 on 12:24 pm | Link

3. If Gordon Brown ever becomes prime minister god help the unemployed of this country he will force the unemployed to do "Work for the benefit of the community" in return for benefit and compulsory job clubs wher claimants will be forced to apply for all the dross jobs just to get them off benefit

   Comment by jbrown — 19 Jan 2005 on 12:25 pm | Link

4. Mr Smith

   Yes, participants in the New Deal are not counted in the unemployment figures but the same was true of the YTS and all the other government programmes that have put unemployed people into training; its nothing new. Even if you did count those people on the new deal, the unemployment figures are still going down. Independent research also shows that the New Deal is getting people into jobs.

   Mr Brown

   Unemployed people only get benefits because they can\x92t find a job. So what\x92s wrong with getting them to do something useful until they get one? Working on community projects is already an option in the New Deal and it\x92s a good way to learn new skills and get work experience; both of which will help you to get a better job afterwards.

   Comment by Uncarved Block — 19 Jan 2005 on 8:38 pm | Link

5. I have been on the New Deal scheme 3 times now. It is useless towards getting a job and makes people homeless. It is extremely stressful – you work 30 hours a week for an extra \xA315 and you have to live under the constant threat of having your benefits cut off. New Deal is about making life difficult for unemployed people, not helping them

   Comment by Gavin Hancock — 1 Sep 2005 on 12:10 pm | Link

6. could you please email me some information on the unemployed figues in the u.k for my business studeis aleval thank you

   Comment by saf — 9 Mar 2006 on 7:02 pm | Link

7. could you please email me some information on the unemployed figues in the u.k for my business studeis aleval thank you

   Comment by saf — 9 Mar 2006 on 7:02 pm | Link

8. could you please email me some information on the unemployed figues in the u.k for my business studeis aleval thank you

   Comment by saf — 9 Mar 2006 on 7:03 pm | Link

9. Business studies "A" Level? I’d knock that on the head right now if I were you mate, looking at that grammar. Oh hang on, BUSINESS STUDIES you said, right? Go right to the top of the class!

   LMFAO!!!

   Comment by HowThickDoYouHaveToBe? — 15 Mar 2006 on 5:49 pm | Link

10. O come on, let’s be fair, saf is actually studying ‘business studeis aleval’. Spelling and grammar have got nothing to do with it.

    Comment by Chuck Unsworth — 16 Mar 2006 on 2:34 pm | Link

11. "unemployed figues"…. Has constipation ceased to be a national issue or have prunes put figs on the dole?

    Comment by Mr Pooter — 16 Mar 2006 on 3:49 pm | Link

12. something has seriously gone wrong with this country and te maths do not add up and there must be more people than me who have noticed this,
    real unemployment is up all you have to do is look around and see in your local comunity what it is actually like every one i know is in debt and owe more money than they are capable of repaying at the measly 4.5% interest rate
    the cost of houses have gone up when people have less money this can only mean they have huge morgage debt

    so something is definalty wrong

    increased unemployment + increased house prices + increased debt

    dont go together

    Comment by andrew — 11 Apr 2006 on 8:45 pm | Link

13. something has seriously gone wrong with this country and te maths do not add up and there must be more people than me who have noticed this,
    real unemployment is up all you have to do is look around and see in your local comunity what it is actually like every one i know is in debt and owe more money than they are capable of repaying at the measly 4.5% interest rate
    the cost of houses have gone up when people have less money this can only mean they have huge morgage debt

    so something is definalty wrong

    increased unemployment + increased house prices + increased debt

    dont go together

    Comment by andrew — 11 Apr 2006 on 8:45 pm | Link

14. I WORK AS A NEW DEAL ADVISOR AND WILL SANCTION THE BENEFIT OF ANYONE WHO FAILS TO TOE THE LINE THIS BECAUSE IAM A RIGHTB**&%$\xA3d

    Comment by rmcdonald — 17 May 2006 on 5:37 pm | Link

15. My new deal advisor is completely useless he is that lazy he insists that i mention the new deal employer subsidy when am at a job interview which i refuse 101% to do as the person interviewing me might not believe in the employer subsidy and could mean the difference between getting the job and not getting it, why should i do my new deal advisors work for him? hes the one being paid a wage and if it wasnt for the likes of me and many others who sign on at the jobcentre he wouldnt have a job.
    Also gavin did your new deal advisor wind you up and make you stressed mine did and he kept saying i had a negative attitude i tell you he came very close to lying on the floor with no front teeth but i would rather not sink to that level what i did was reported him to the DWP and now this time round he is a nice as ninepence so the DWP obviously heeded my complaint and as for working for your benefit for the good of the community when they get a certain person who has signed on at the local job centre for 25 years yes! 25 years and who has never applied for jobs or come off benefit during that time to work for his benefit for the benefit of the community then and only then i may consider it but if push came to shove i would rather sign off altogether and do odd jobs for cash in hand

    Comment by DAVE — 17 May 2006 on 5:49 pm | Link

16. I live in Stockport and have struggled to find work since Jan07, I understand after christmas is a hard time to look for work but we are in April now, all thats happened is I use my hardship allowance of \xA335pw to pay for all the running around to "register" for these terrible agencies who never ring you back because they now have a endless supply of cheap foreign labour which they prefere to exploit, so in my opinion Ive never had more competition for a manual job that pays NMW, Im now squeezed out by not having a driving licence of which most companies now require (to cut there insurance overheads) The government does not care about its own people anymore THAT IS A FACT!!,look at the nurses!!! they are the worst paid proffessionals in the country and cannot go on strike due to the nature of there work, even this is exploited which is why the government doesnt even throw them a bean!!! this is also why we rely so heavily on foreign labour because most people are so finacialy squeezed they cannot afford to work for these kind of rates! Im now behind on my Ctax, water rates, Rent, and am soon to lose my flat which ive lived in for nearly 5 years….if I do then all that will happen is since I dont have family who I can rely on for finacial support then I will simply have to go to jail to make my political statement! there I will get access to a gym, library, 3square meals a day (which is more than I can afford at present) and then I can cost the taxpayer/system a hell of alot more money than the minimal benefits that they are squabbling over giving me at present, doesnt make sense to me but something tells me that If I was Muslim, an Asylum seeker or Disabled in anysort of way I would have more human rights to protest with than I do at present and wouldnt have to think about taking drastic measures to get the attention of the Country, even though im a healthy 27 year old who gets up every morning and looks for work!!! many people are forced into crime when they are desperate and for the second time in my life I can now understand why and believe if things dont get better soon the country will have alot of angry young desperate people to contend with.

    Comment by Wesley Hayden — 13 Apr 2007 on 1:15 pm | Link

17. I live in Stockport and have struggled to find work since Jan07, I understand after christmas is a hard time to look for work but we are in April now, all thats happened is I use my hardship allowance of \xA335pw to pay for all the running around to "register" for these terrible agencies who never ring you back because they now have a endless supply of cheap foreign labour which they prefere to exploit, so in my opinion Ive never had more competition for a manual job that pays NMW, Im now squeezed out by not having a driving licence of which most companies now require (to cut there insurance overheads) The government does not care about its own people anymore THAT IS A FACT!!,look at the nurses!!! they are the worst paid proffessionals in the country and cannot go on strike due to the nature of there work, even this is exploited which is why the government doesnt even throw them a bean!!! this is also why we rely so heavily on foreign labour because most people are so finacialy squeezed they cannot afford to work for these kind of rates! Im now behind on my Ctax, water rates, Rent, and am soon to lose my flat which ive lived in for nearly 5 years….if I do then all that will happen is since I dont have family who I can rely on for finacial support then I will simply have to go to jail to make my political statement! there I will get access to a gym, library, 3square meals a day (which is more than I can afford at present) and then I can cost the taxpayer/system a hell of alot more money than the minimal benefits that they are squabbling over giving me at present, doesnt make sense to me but something tells me that If I was Muslim, an Asylum seeker or Disabled in anysort of way I would have more human rights to protest with than I do at present and wouldnt have to think about taking drastic measures to get the attention of the Country, even though im a healthy 27 year old who gets up every morning and looks for work!!! many people are forced into crime when they are desperate and for the second time in my life I can now understand why and believe if things dont get better soon the country will have alot of angry young desperate people to contend with.

    Comment by Wesley Hayden — 13 Apr 2007 on 1:16 pm | Link

18. Who needs a job anyway, think big! when the jobcentre asks what you have been doing to find work, say you are investing a couple of quid every week in the national lottery, if you win a few mil then you can sign off.
    This shows you are doing something constructive and should be more than sufficient to keep them happy.
    If not, tell them you are also looking for a job that pays enough to live on, IOW covers a mortgage, 2 to 4 weeks abroad hols, put the kids through school, you know what I mean, a normal living wage job.
    Your adviser will of course tell you that you stand more chance of winning the lottery, therefore you will have satisfied the terms of your jobseekers agreement.

    Comment by Jobseeker — 16 Apr 2007 on 2:20 am | Link

19. Employment figures are as follows!…I Gordon Brown am going to tell everyone how great things are on the Employment front! my Contrived figures will reflect this and remember people….its all good, believe me, I was democratically elected by you all so enjoy my decisions.
    I Gordon Brown get paid a hell of alot of money compared to those Idiots that work for the National Minimum Wage so why should I care anyway!
    Goodbye!

    Comment by Danny — 19 Apr 2007 on 12:57 pm | Link

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