Unemployment has risen in the three months to November 2011 by 118,000 to 2.68m 8.4% with youth unemployment rising by 52,000 to 1.04m 22.3% the highest on record. The [un]Employment Minister Chris Grayling went straight onto the television to say "unemployment is to high" so pointing out the obvious there Minister.
Mr Grayling went on claim youth unemployment now "includes students looking for part time work". Which is pretty complacent attitude from the Minister. Female unemployment is at its highest level since 1987 which Mr Grayling blamed on "mums wanting to get back into the job market". Like with youth unemployment he simply blames people for wanting to work.
Mr Grayling's performance on the BBC wasn't good. I could detect absolutely no plan to get the unemployed back to work. "Its a priority for the government" according to the Minister but words need to be matched by deeds. A Treasury source said the figures were "not all bad" as 18,000 jobs were created.
The Labour party have put forward a "5 point plan for jobs and growth"
1) A £2bn tax on bank bonuses to fund 100,000 jobs
2) Bringing forward long-term investment projects
3) Reversing January's (2011) damaging VAT rise
4) A one year cut in VAT to 5% on home improvements
5) A one year national insurance tax break for small businesses
Out of the two the Labour party seem to have a plan, which yes costs money but spending to get people back to work would be seen by most people as a good use of public money. Shadow DWP Secretary Liam Byrne has tweeted "unemployment highest since 1994: female unemployment since '87. Youth unemployment highest ever. Its time to change course".
The coalition are coming up with schemes such as enterprise zones, but as it showed in the 1980s, they didn't do much to reduce unemployment. Most analysts predict unemployment rising the 3m and judging by Chris Grayling's performance this morning, they have no clue on how to stop it.
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