Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all do any of you think people will lose their benefits within the next few months under this Labour government as I’m worried and I don’t like not knowing what’s going on. I was signed off work will they make mr work?
I was long term unemployed when Labour came to power in 1997. I had studied computing part time to get a computing qualification as there was said to be a shortage of people with computer skills, but without work experience I couldn't get a job. Labour's "New Deal" for the long term unemployed helped open a door for me by giving me a work placement, which led to a temporary job, which in turn led to my current permanent job. The Conservatives scrapped the "New Deal" when they got into power.It would be good if Labour could do something similar for long term unemployed people now that they are back in office.
It's wonderful that your work placement led to your current, ongoing role - especially given the extra challenges that gaining and staying in employment can present for us as autistic people.
On the political context, though, it's perhaps worth knowing that long-term unemployment (which you mention) was already falling rapidly under John Major's Conservative government. That fall continued after Labour took power in 1997, but levels then rose again from 2004 onwards (still Labour). Levels then fell again after the Conservatives took office in 2010, falling in 2022-23 to the lowest levels since 1993.
Sorry if this seems to be rubbing salt in after Iain's reply. It just prompted me to do some digging, so I thought I may as well share what I found!
Unemployment is a lagging indicator. This means it measures the effect of economic events, such as a recession. The unemployment rate doesn't rise until after a recession has already started. It also means the unemployment rate will continue to rise even after the economy has started to recover.