How many economically inactive people are there?

[monobrow]

Even if you assume that those claiming unemployment want to work, that still leaves the majority of those 13 million that probably wouldn't accept a job even if the world worked in a way that it was possible to "produce" jobs.

There must still be a large number of wives, or people that are otherwise supported by family, or are in education, have retired early, are ill, or for whatever reason are taking a "career break" that count towards that number.

As a married couple if you have more than 16k in cash in your bank account you are eligible for **** all. So for the entire period I was out of work, I didn't/couldn't sign on and claim my paltry £55 a week (or housing, or anything) even though until that time i'd probably paid a good 500k in taxes. There are probably a good million+ or so couples/individuals in this position that aren't counted and are seeing they hard earnt savings wasting away.

The queen still gets (or would get) her child benefit though, clearly she's not happy with 100 million or whatever she already gets off taxpayers - go figure.

[VectraMan]

But 13 million is an amazing figure don't you think? How are we going to produce the jobs to employ those people?

Even if you assume that those claiming unemployment want to work, that still leaves the majority of those 13 million that probably wouldn't accept a job even if the world worked in a way that it was possible to "produce" jobs.

There must still be a large number of wives, or people that are otherwise supported by family, or are in education, have retired early, are ill, or for whatever reason are taking a "career break" that count towards that number.

[gingerjedi]

If you subtract the roughly 3m "officially unemployed", that leaves you with about 10m, which will be mainly "wives", yes-no? Or am I being from-another-century again?

For most I'd think the days of having wifey at home looking after the household are long gone, when my wife was pregnant with our first I thought we were lucky as this was just about feasible for us.

3 years later we've extended the term of out mortgage, she's working part time and we're claiming family tax credits.

Is the dole office open tomorrow? I may go down just to make sure I'm counted.

[thunderlizard]

If you subtract the roughly 3m "officially unemployed", that leaves you with about 10m, which will be mainly "wives", yes-no? Or am I being from-another-century again?

[TimberWolf]

The answer is to import more people. Dave is on the case enthusiastically supported by the Liberals and the rest of the world, albeit with the Liberals being disappointed that arrivals aren't unlimited.

[Tingles]

I've been told that if you substract the number of people with a job (29 million) from the number of people of working age (42 million) you end up with the true figure of 13 million!

Of course a number of those will be rich or working on the black. Equally some of those with a job will be part-time and/or claiming tax credits.

But 13 million is an amazing figure don't you think? How are we going to produce the jobs to employ those people?

We aren't - that's the problem.


Tone

[MrMark]

I've been told that if you substract the number of people with a job (29 million) from the number of people of working age (42 million) you end up with the true figure of 13 million!

Of course a number of those will be rich or working on the black. Equally some of those with a job will be part-time and/or claiming tax credits.

But 13 million is an amazing figure don't you think? How are we going to produce the jobs to employ those people?