A Youthful Precariat ?

Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley Guy Standing’s challenging new book The Precariat seeks to explain the implications of globalisation for occupational class structures. Rather than remaining within the ranks of Marx’s proletariat; increasingly large numbers of people have now been pushed into a new and insecure ‘precariat’ - lacking adequate incomes and ‘security’ in the … Continue reading A Youthful Precariat ? →

Youth unemployment falling?

Though the most recent ONS figures (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0511.pdf) show a slight fall in levels of unemployment, 20% of 16-24 year olds are still recorded as being out of work. If the count is restricted to those ‘not in full-time education or training’ – a more accurate measurement, 18.3% of 16-24 year olds and 17.3% of those … Continue reading Youth unemployment falling? →

(More than) 1 in 5 young people unemployed

With the monthly figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that unemployment for the three month period August to November had reached 2.5 million, it has been the increase in youth unemployment – a total of 951.000 (20.5% of 16-24 year olds) are now out of work –that has received particular attention. Youth unemployment … Continue reading (More than) 1 in 5 young people unemployed →

The real ‘lost generation’?

Martin Allen Labour market statistics, published by the Office for National Statistics, for January to March 2010, continue to highlight the plight of young people and confirm many of the arguments in our book Lost Generation? The latest figure show unemployment levels, as measured by the Labour Force Survey method rising again - sounding alarm bells … Continue reading The real ‘lost generation’? →