Tuesday 13 November 2012

How the untruths spread

There's a Jobcentre manager in Hull who might be regretting the "facts" he gave to the local paper.  He certainly should be.  The Hull Daily Mail reported today "2,000 jobs on offer in Hull, but no takers, Jobcentre says".  Hull has double the national average of people on JSA, so this would be a big story if true. But the comments in reaction show that it isn't.  Somebody went on the direct.gov website and found only 250 vacancies within 15 miles of Hull, and most of those were for people with specific qualifications like an HGV licence.  Other people pointed out that many listed vacancies are not jobs at all.  And so on; I don't need to labour the point for many of my readers.  But it's been repeated on the BBC's website as "Concern over Hull's 2,000 unfilled job vacancies", and again on the local news.  I can't imagine that unemployed people in Hull are too thrilled about this.  Is it happening where you are?
This sort of very damaging myth helps the government.  The Guardian reports that Iain Duncan Smith is about to put his proposals for welfare cuts before the government.  They will include "freezing the up-rating of benefits for two years and then linking it to pay as opposed to inflation".  Because, of course, if there are all those workshy people out there they don't deserve any more.

12 comments:

  1. It is funny that you brought this up,recently I submitted my Bi-monthly job search(I was taking the piss) 24 job searches from the JCP approved list,all different reference numbers-posting dates, all for the same 2 employers(also had been listed for over 3 months) was this acceptable..NO As even the JCP adviser was less than impressed "You are applying for the same position" Granted,but you consider these 24 opportunities! "You should know better" It is a fable but sadly not even a good contrived one.

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  2. Yes this is what amounts to a propaganda war against claimants. Truth counts for nothing; what matters is spreading the myth that all claimants are scroungers, and what needs to be done is to bring in tougher penalties against "the workshy". Sadly there will be people who fall for the lies - there always are - and it will be genuine claimants (the 99% of all those on benefits) who will suffer most.

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  3. This is another reason why people think the unemployed don't try to get jobs and could get a job if they really wanted to when job centres etc announce there are thousands of vacancies. They never say what kind of vacancies and it's just assumed that everyone can apply for these so called "thousands of vacancies"

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  4. If BBC has reported something that is clearly factually wrong then we should make formal complaints via website. Make them check their facts.

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    1. Definitely. Panorama has just got into trouble for not checking its facts hasn't it? They won't want people pointing out to them that they obviously do this regularly as it undermines their apparent impartiality and means no-one can trust the BBC.......
      (and no comments please that you can't anyway, you all know what I mean!)

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    2. Pointless. The BBC merely quoted the local paper (or vice versa) which was quoting the Jobcentre manager. We all know that if you make a search for vacancies without any filters you could come up with 2,000. And we all know that it isn't true. But what is truth?

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  5. Can't expect journalists to check their facts, can we? Actually do their jobs? It's a such a hard life for them, sitting in nasty warm offices tapping away at their backbreaking keyboards for all of 20 mins each day, scratching around trying to find something, anything to put in their rags that isn't ads or celebrity nonsense. I wonder if the Hull Daily Fail is desperate enough for copy to print a letter suggesting that people go online and check out these "2000 jobs" for themselves? Probably not.

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    1. There have been plenty of replies to that effect. But the information came from the Jobcentre manager, apparently.

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  6. "However, new figures show there were more than 2,000 unfilled vacancies at Jobcentre Plus in September – 70 per cent of which were full-time positions."

    The above is from the Hull Daily Mail article. 2000 unfulfilled vacancies can be for a number of reasons.

    However, I do wonder how many ARE within the Hull and indeed the Humber region. My experience with JCP is that their job points will provide many a vacancy well outside one's loacality.

    For example, I am in Leeds. If I saw a suitable vacancy in Harrogate, Dewsbury or Sheffield, I'd apply as the distance is do-able. However, I often see vacancies in London, B'ham, Liverpool, Southampton, etc. And this is when conducting a local area job search. Hardly commuting distance. Many if not most jobseekers are without private transport.

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    1. Do you drive? use public transport? cycle? depends really if even dewsbury is a commuting distance for a a minimum wage job, with the high cost of public transport, sheffeild only if a person drives to take a minimum wage job even then would you be ant better of with the increasing cost of fuel?

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    2. Thanks for the reply Anon (15 Nov). You have a fair point with the incresed cost of public transport and petrol / deisel. This is putting massive pressure on those IN WORK never mind jobseekers!

      However, I was focussing on the reasonable length of time it takes to get to these places.

      That said, one also has to look at whether a potential workplace is within a reasonable walking distance from a bus stop or train station also. Many are not. Others require more than one bus and / or train reusulting in extra costs and increasing the chances of poor punctuality.

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    3. iMatt,very true,I have applied for a position with an employer about 45 miles away,decent pay and great benefits(Quite hopeful) paid monthly. The problem is twofold (1)How to survive 5 weeks while awaiting the first check. (2) Transportation

      The WP has suggested trying to find some one else who works there to catch a ride with or use Public transportation which brings up a whole slew of problems,being on time being the biggest.The WP also put me in contact with a charity/council partnership that will provide transport for the first 4 weeks at no cost,this is a great Idea,it would require me to walk about 4 miles to the pick up point which is fine,I contacted them but due to budget cuts they have restricted this to 20 miles from the depot.I am sure that this was started as a well intentioned programme but there is no cohesion between all the parties..Still going for the position and see how things work out,but keeping documentation of all attempts to sort out my concerns in case I am unable to hold up my end of the bargain.

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