IT is a measure of the parlous state of the UK economy that, when the good news is announced about unemployment falling for the second month in a row, it is immediately tempered by warnings against complacency.
IT is a measure of the parlous state of the UK economy that, when the good news is announced about unemployment falling for the second month in a row, it is immediately tempered by warnings against complacency.
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There is little cause for celebration when, despite the drop, more people are out of work than this time last year and the number of those unemployed for more than a year is the highest since 1996. Even more worrying is the gloomy confirmation provided by the latest figures that young people face the greatest difficulty, especially in Scotland. Although youth unemployment declined in the three months to March, 94,000 Scots aged between 16 and 24 were out of work in this period. This amounts to 23.1% of the age group, compared with 21.9% in the UK and the overall unemployment rate of 8.2%. The persistence of this high rate exposes the limitations of interventions such as additional apprenticeships, the Scottish Government's Youth Contract and the UK Department of Work and Pensions initiative to encourage employers to take on young recruits. Welcome as these are, economic growth is required before fears of a lost generation can be addressed, far less dispelled.
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A huge job to kickstart growth
IT is a measure of the parlous state of the UK economy that, when the good news is announced about unemployment falling for the second month in a row, it is immediately tempered by warnings against complacency.
There is little cause for celebration when, despite the drop, more people are out of work than this time last year and the number of those unemployed for more than a year is the highest since 1996. Even more worrying is the gloomy confirmation provided by the latest figures that young people face the greatest difficulty, especially in Scotland. Although youth unemployment declined in the three months to March, 94,000 Scots aged between 16 and 24 were out of work in this period. This amounts to 23.1% of the age group, compared with 21.9% in the UK and the overall unemployment rate of 8.2%. The persistence of this high rate exposes the limitations of interventions such as additional apprenticeships, the Scottish Government's Youth Contract and the UK Department of Work and Pensions initiative to encourage employers to take on young recruits. Welcome as these are, economic growth is required before fears of a lost generation can be addressed, far less dispelled.
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Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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