The Good News thread, local jobs, economy etc

[Beliall]

One step forward two steps back is pretty slow.

Some might say backwards even

[The Doctor]

Forget France, the Tories are still trying to reverse what has been a serious decline under socialist (sorry labour) rule. As you say it will take decades to recover from!

Labour Socialist? What have you been smoking and where can I get some? Blairs labour were neo-thatcherites.

[purpleronnie]

Forget France, the Tories are still trying to reverse what has been a serious decline under socialist (sorry labour) rule. As you say it will take decades to recover from!

[bovril]

Meh, one man's recovery is another man's decline....

[Rincewind]

I have just deleted my intended reply. I am attempting self control in reacting.

There are some good posters on here I do not want their posts being belittled by mine, diverting readers to my crap posts.

[MooseBreath]

News of yet another substantial drop in unemployment coming through

[Rincewind]

More people sanctioned. More working part time or zero contract but if you wish you can interprett it the way you want. i for one am not taken in by the hype,

[Webbo]

More people sanctioned. More working part time or zero contract but if you wish you can interprett it the way you want. i for one am not taken in by the hype,

How do you know what you're saying isn't hype?

[Rincewind]

Meh, one man's recovery is another man's decline....

That is true. As someone said There are lies, dammed lies and statistics and this government are playing the statistics very well.

Another quote (top of my head) You can fool some of the people some of the time, all the people some of the time but you can;t fool all the people all of the time.

[Rincewind]

How do you know what you're saying isn't hype?

How?because I know people that have experienced these kind of things and read news from various resources other than the government mouthpieces. They would hardly put out bad figures that make them look bad would they? Which is why I look elsewhere for a different POV.

[Webbo]

How?because I know people that have experienced these kind of things and read news from various resources other than the government mouthpieces. They would hardly put out bad figures that make them look bad would they? Which is why I look elsewhere for a different POV.

We've all got experience of life Ken. Most of us can see the country's in a far better state than it was 4 years ago. We leave our houses in the morning and we're not stepping over corpses of people who have starved to death. this hell on earth you're always telling us about only exists in the minds of people who are desperate for an excuse to hate. Life in general is pretty good.

[MooseBreath]

How?because I know people that have experienced these kind of things and read news from various resources other than the government mouthpieces. They would hardly put out bad figures that make them look bad would they? Which is why I look elsewhere for a different POV.

These are ONS stats kenbo. They're a whole lot more neutral than your dodgy blogs I can assure you. But you go on believing whatever helps you avoid facing up to the shame of taking money away from people who actually need it OK buddy.

[Alf Bentley]

Fall in unemployment confirmed: http://www.ftadviser.com/2014/07/16/investments/economic-indicators/uk-unemployment-drops-again-wage-growth-slows-MINaABOODwYHLJsxTsqV7L/article.html

 

These stats come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are different from the stats showing numbers of people on benefits. While people are indeed facing benefits sanctions in large numbers, I don't think that would affect the ONS stats (still largely based on the Labour Force Survey, I think).

 

So, good news of a sort....but how good? How many of the new jobs pay a living wage or offer any security is the issue.

 

The very same stats reveal that earnings growth has fallen to 0.3% (0.7%, excluding bonuses)...and that's compared to a RISE in inflation to 1.9% announced yesterday (but not announced by Moosebreath, I notice!  ).

 

So, more people are in work....but 6 years after the crash and 4 years after the Tories took power, real incomes are still falling by a significant margin. So, more of us are working, but on average we're still getting poorer! I wonder how the trend in corporate profits compares? Structural redistribution of wealth from people to corporations, anyone?! 

[Rincewind]

True. Most people get up in the morning get in their car, drive to work, drive back home and everything is great in their world. Why should they believe others are not having it as good. After all they are told by smart men in suits with a good English accent that everything is well in the world and you  should always trust posh people because they are so educated and honest and would never deceive the electorate.

The next time i read about a wheelchair bound man that has died after having his DLA stopped  I will just assume that the widow is lying.

 

Someone was telling me that you have to do seven searches a week now using Universal jobsearch. Looking in the Mercury or going door to door or using another site does not count and can be a reason to be sanctioned without warning meaning no income at all.

Another story I read was of a bloke with learning and physical disabilities  being sanctioned because the site he used did not show up on the JC system even though he had kept a record of all the job searches he had done. The reason that he rarely used UJS was the site he used was aware of his physical capabilities and geared the job offers to that.He was not told at the JC that other job searches did not count.

This happens on a daily basis and although I agree that there are a few long time unemployed abusing the system, the ones being worst hit are the ones who are recently made redundant after being in work for years, those with learning and physical disabilities and those with young families. It has gone from one extreme to the other.

Edited 16 July 2014 by Rincewind

[Guest MattP]

More people sanctioned. More working part time or zero contract but if you wish you can interprett it the way you want. i for one am not taken in by the hype,

 

I've been sending CVs out today and believe me you can see the difference, far more jobs out there and the salaries are far higher than I was expecting for a man of my qualfications. You probably have to get out of the pub though if you want to see it.

 

Easier to just sit there and blame everyone wlse for your problems though if you can't be arsed.

[Guest MattP]

True. Most people get up in the morning get in their car, drive to work, drive back home and everything is great in their world. Why should they believe others are not having it as good. After all they are told by smart men in suits with a good English accent that everything is well in the world and you  should always trust posh people because they are so educated and honest and would never deceive the electorate.

The next time i read about a wheelchair bound man that has died after having his DLA stopped  I will just assume that the widow is lying.

 

Death by DLA stoppage, that's some serious James Bond shit, I'll have another one of whatever Ken's on this morning.

[Webbo]

Fall in unemployment confirmed: http://www.ftadviser.com/2014/07/16/investments/economic-indicators/uk-unemployment-drops-again-wage-growth-slows-MINaABOODwYHLJsxTsqV7L/article.html

 

These stats come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are different from the stats showing numbers of people on benefits. While people are indeed facing benefits sanctions in large numbers, I don't think that would affect the ONS stats (still largely based on the Labour Force Survey, I think).

 

So, good news of a sort....but how good? How many of the new jobs pay a living wage or offer any security is the issue.

 

The very same stats reveal that earnings growth has fallen to 0.3% (0.7%, excluding bonuses)...and that's compared to a RISE in inflation to 1.9% announced yesterday (but not announced by Moosebreath, I notice!  ).

 

So, more people are in work....but 6 years after the crash and 4 years after the Tories took power, real incomes are still falling by a significant margin. So, more of us are working, but on average we're still getting poorer! I wonder how the trend in corporate profits compares? Structural redistribution of wealth from people to corporations, anyone?! 

We're a bit worse off that's true but maybe that's the price we have to pay to keep people in employment. It's (in my opinion) probably a readjustment from the time of the boom when wages increased disproportionately in comparison to productivity.

 

I'd like to see when people's wages were last at the level they are now and whether people felt they were poor then. 

[Webbo]

True. Most people get up in the morning get in their car, drive to work, drive back home and everything is great in their world. Why should they believe others are not having it as good. After all they are told by smart men in suits with a good English accent that everything is well in the world and you  should always trust posh people because they are so educated and honest and would never deceive the electorate.

The next time i read about a wheelchair bound man that has died after having his DLA stopped  I will just assume that the widow is lying.

How can they afford a car if they're all on zero hour contracts?

[MooseBreath]

Fall in unemployment confirmed: http://www.ftadviser.com/2014/07/16/investments/economic-indicators/uk-unemployment-drops-again-wage-growth-slows-MINaABOODwYHLJsxTsqV7L/article.html

These stats come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are different from the stats showing numbers of people on benefits. While people are indeed facing benefits sanctions in large numbers, I don't think that would affect the ONS stats (still largely based on the Labour Force Survey, I think).

So, good news of a sort....but how good? How many of the new jobs pay a living wage or offer any security is the issue.

The very same stats reveal that earnings growth has fallen to 0.3% (0.7%, excluding bonuses)...and that's compared to a RISE in inflation to 1.9% announced yesterday (but not announced by Moosebreath, I notice! ).

So, more people are in work....but 6 years after the crash and 4 years after the Tories took power, real incomes are still falling by a significant margin. So, more of us are working, but on average we're still getting poorer! I wonder how the trend in corporate profits compares? Structural redistribution of wealth from people to corporations, anyone?!

Inflation is pretty much bang on target so that's not bad news. Wage growth of 0.7% (no idea why you'd exclude bonuses) is not great but what I'd be more interested in is a breakdown of wage growth by salary band. Clearly judging by the unemployment figures we've still got plenty of spare capacity and logically that will suppress wage growth. If most of those new jjobs are in a certain band, probably the lower end, then it could be that wage growth in other bands is actually much higher but the average is being dragged down by the fact that we had such a high amount oof capacity to re-employ at the lower end.

[Rincewind]

How can they afford a car if they're all on zero hour contracts?

Did I say it was people on zero hour contracts? I meant those that believe everything is fine for others because they are doing fine.

[Webbo]

Did I say it was people on zero hour contracts? I meant those that believe everything is fine for others because they are doing fine.

I thought you told us that anyone who's got a job since the tories came was on a zero hour contract?

[Guest MattP]

Did I say it was people on zero hour contracts? I meant those that believe everything is fine for others because they are doing fine.

 

You really should button it Ken considering the position you are in, you have exploited a loophole in the system that has since closed to get free money from the government despite not even being at retirement age.

 

When you squeal about the poor, disabled, hungry having their money taken off them you are just as culpable for it as any banker or tax cheat given your hand in is in the pot when it shouldn't be either.

Edited 16 July 2014 by MattP

[Rincewind]

No I am saying that has increased as has part time and minimum wage work. Thiey would still be claiming benefits to make their money up to what is deemed as a living income.

[Alf Bentley]

We're a bit worse off that's true but maybe that's the price we have to pay to keep people in employment. It's (in my opinion) probably a readjustment from the time of the boom when wages increased disproportionately in comparison to productivity.

 

I'd like to see when people's wages were last at the level they are now and whether people felt they were poor then. 

 

A readjustment is indeed to be expected after the horrendous 2008 crash and its knock-on effects. But one lasting six years and still ongoing? When does "a readjustment" become a structural trend that risks tipping into deflation if real incomes continue to fall, house prices continue to rise (another large rise announced yesterday) and interest rates are jacked up - expected to happen in 6-9 months time?

 

I hope you're right and that the counter-readjustment happens soon - i.e. rises in real incomes to boost demand - or we could be right in the shit in a couple of years time...

 

Mind you, I just looked for some figures on profits and found this: 

http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/2014/01/30/shares/sectors/what-next-for-ftse-earnings-yXdjOSe5Jhzf7G74Cmso8I/article.html

 

Sounds as if profits are still low, even if FTSE prices are fairly high....let's hope that expresses JUSTIFIED confidence in improved company profits...and that some of those improved profits get passed on to workers...

[Guest MattP]

Alf did you watch Question Time last week or have you have actually turned into Peter Hitchins? He was pretty much saying everything you have been saying for a few months and on here today regarding housing bubbles, interest rates and inflation.

 

I don;t believe for a minute you have been purchasing the Mail on Sunday!