The news today has shown that unemployment is now at its highest since 1994 and for young people is even higher, this is a tragedy for all concerned.
Now of course, the ex Eastern Bloc countries are all in the EU and have the right to work and live in the uk or any other EU country but the levels are so high now that is needs to be discussed. Meanwhile Uk citizens are being forced onto work for dole programmes with companies like Tescos and Poundland, this is just crazy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/16/young-jobseekers-work-pay-unemployment?intcmp=122
Obviously this is not the only factor or even the key factor in the crisis we are in, we need more decent training programmes, housebuilding programmes, apprenticeships, etc and of course a Keynsian economic programme to create those desperately needed jobs, but there is of course the possibility that any new jobs will in fact be taken by more EU citizens who see these new opportunities as the happen here.
I don’t have any easy answers, but I don’t accept the lump of labour fallacy, I think it is legititimate to discuss it and cries of racism, xenophobia, BJFBW won’t wash, I know what unemployment does to the soul, especially youth unemployment…..
Yet when I was in London last week, nearly every person serving in shops, museums, and especially cafes was from eastern Europe, these were clearly ‘entry level’ jobs that would have gone in the past to young Londoners. This is replicated across the south east: My east European friend told that nearly all her co-workers in her hotel where she worked were Hungarian.
Now of course, the ex Eastern Bloc countries are all in the EU and have the right to work and live in the uk or any other EU country but the levels are so high now that is needs to be discussed. Meanwhile Uk citizens are being forced onto work for dole programmes with companies like Tescos and Poundland, this is just crazy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/16/young-jobseekers-work-pay-unemployment?intcmp=122
Obviously this is not the only factor or even the key factor in the crisis we are in, we need more decent training programmes, housebuilding programmes, apprenticeships, etc and of course a Keynsian economic programme to create those desperately needed jobs, but there is of course the possibility that any new jobs will in fact be taken by more EU citizens who see these new opportunities as the happen here.
I don’t have any easy answers, but I don’t accept the lump of labour fallacy, I think it is legititimate to discuss it and cries of racism, xenophobia, BJFBW won’t wash, I know what unemployment does to the soul, especially youth unemployment…..
