Independent UK: Europe stalked by spectre of mass unemployment

[marmar]

The UK's fragile economic recovery was exposed yesterday by disappointing employment figures and an unexpected rise in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits.

The claimant count, which measures the number of people claiming jobseekers' allowance, increased by 2,300 in August, the first rise since December last year, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. The jump confounded City forecasts, which had pointed to further declines – and will alarm policy makers, coming as it does in the wake of this week's IMF warning that Europe risks becoming an employment "wasteland" in which joblessness threatens entire societies.

Overall, unemployment in the UK fell by 8,000 in the three months to July on the preferred International Labour Organisation (ILO) calculation. Joblessness in the UK now stands at 2.47 million, or 7.8 per cent.

But even the ILO data will do little to take the pressure off Chancellor George Osborne ahead of next month's Comprehensive Spending Review. Heavy spending cuts are certain to be announced, leading to the loss of thousands – probably tens of thousands – of public-sector jobs. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/wasteland-europe-stalked-by-spectre-of-mass-unemployment-2080499.html

[snagglepuss]

1. Why are forecasters confounded? Where do they expect jobs to be created

when jobs across Europe,UK, and North America have been outsourced to 3rd world countries? I am genuinely curious what sectors they thought were going to create jobs.

[seabeyond]

2. nafta... we are all globally connected. no longer can one country do ok, without the rest. nt