Could someone explain… the unemployment figures?
Just as the above answer mentions the situation in America, so too in the UK only people claiming unemployment benefits are officially part of the unemployment count. National figures also don’t necessarily show the picture of a local area. A town next door may have a 20% unemployment rate, while another may have virtually full employment. Full time students are not expected to be in work, and can’t commit to finding work which would be in conflict with their studies. Full time parents (the one doing most of the caring, usually the mother) are not compelled to work in the UK so don’t count as unemployed. Immigrants are expected to work, and will count as unemployed if they are out of work and claiming benefit (except for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers who are barred from working, and so are not unemployed). People claiming benefits for sickness, disability, or maternity, or retirement pensions are not counted as unemployed.
