Evidently, as we’ve said, unemployment is high at present. However there is reason for cautious optimism: the number of unemployed people has fallen over the past few months. This is the first occurrence of this since the recession, and is a small step in the right direction.
Youngsters have been hit hardest – work becoming more scarce than a purple gem. This has been compounded by the cutback in university places. Being 17 myself, it’s not been the most reassuring news to hear as I sit my A levels and decide what path to take in my future! Many others in my position have decided to give up on it all as a result. I’m not throwing in the towel so easily, however.
The current recession has been called the “mancession”: men have been hit disproportionately hard, due mostly to male-dominated fields such as construction and manufacturing being worst affected by the downturn.
The employed are even having problems of their own. There’s been the first drop in average wages in decades. Wages in the public sector have been frozen; inflation on basic staples such as bread and eggs, as well as on necessities like petrol and oil, has made these workers very worried.