Unempolyment

[icky8vicky]

Looking at all the comments, yes, this is out of date. You should either post an update or take it down.

[TheirMommie]

Okay honey. Live a life and then get back to me. It's the recession you twit.

[Kat2006uk]

@TheirMommie Please read date before commenting this was 2 years agp before there was a recession and its talking about people I know personally.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

We also live in a society obsessed by the concept of perceived success. Those 'perceived' to e doing well- in a stable job, married and so on are regarded as 'good' and those perceived to be struggling, there is a cynical view that it 'must be' their own fault. As a society we need to start caring more and stop being so damn cold.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

I really can't wait until the day I can upload videos so I can express my views in a better way. Sometimes my anger at the way the unemployed are vilified clouds my ability to address everything in the way I would like too. I just wish people were more informed about what actually goes on from a claimant's perspective.

A less work-obsessed nation will be in everyone's interest.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

There are many things I can say about this subject but I don't want to 'hog' your comments section.

I'll conclude with this. I think it is fundamentally wrong to judge someone solely on whether they have a job or not. Bullying people into work through threats, blackmail and exploitation (as is currently the case) is not the answer to unemployed. Reduced working hours may be in everyone's interest but people need to realise there is more to life than work. They also need to be more informed.

[jellybean2423]

Omg Do you here yourself, good help us if you ever loose your job your be onhere complaining oh im on the dole, well its as close as you think it is, just dont knock it

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... having a job makes them special. It doesn't. You can be good at the job, and on rare occasions enjoy your job. It provides a degree of financial security (varying on the job of course) but as far as im concerned it does not qualify you (by 'you' im referring generically to my critics) as a 'good honest' person.

Iv'e said what I need to say.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont; provides income so that is obviously a motivational factor, but having tried several different fields- ive been a waiter, a charity fundraiser, a clerk, I know I want new horizons. Some would say 'beggers shouldn't be choosers' but I would rather deal with unemployment than get another soul-destroying job purely for the sake of image which lets face it, comes into this along with the financial aspect. In that regard, I am more honest than those self-righteous people who think that cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... of people and there will be bad eggs. Some police and some soldiers think wearing a uniform gives them a right to do as they please. But they do not represent the decent police and soldiers who are doing what they are doing with good intentions. Needless to say such 'bad eggs' can be found in any group. That is why I strongly resent the demonising of the unemployed alone. To me that is the real laziness- the casual generalising of one group. As for 'wanting to work' well a job cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

It is also naive to presume that the long term unemployed enjoy being unemployed. Not true. Again, speaking personally (I cannot speak about too much about other individuals) I am actually quite ambitious. I want to be active and crowd a lot into my life- I can honestly say I am never bored. Obviously not having an income (and im no longer on JSA) is problematic- it produces anxiety and uncertainty. There may be some individuals who manipulate the system and commit fraud but take any group con;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont; to allow anyone to tell me that because I am unemployed I am somehow inferior. No way.

Judgement is perhaps part of human nature but sweeping generalisations of any one group makes the person advocating that appear primitive and stupid.

I know iv'e written a lot here but I feel very strongly about this subject because there is a huge amount of misconceptions and this is breeding a lot of anger from people such as myself.

I do not ask people to agree. Only that all points are considered.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont; and have been fair in getting there. But what I refuse to tolerate is the idea that employment status is a barometer of personal character. Admiral Lord Nelson was unemployed for six years and he is generally considered onbe of our greatest Britons. I believe reduced working hours will be in everyones favour and actually reduce unemployment but I cannot pretend to have all the answers. Speaking for myself, I have confidence because I have conviction. I have my faults, but I refuse cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

welfare to work system themselves. Unemployment is not easy or fun... it produces anxiety, bitterness and instabilty. Claimants are routingley treated as inferior citizens and have very little say in anything. 'Any failure to comply will result in JSA being cut off'- this is effectively blackmail. Going through these things is hard enough without having to hear the constant prejudice of ignorant people. Now im not an anarchist. Ive no problem with those who are in paid work and are successful;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont; that I have contributed to society. Instead of attacking the unemployed, people who don't like their jobs should attack 'Sir' Fred Goodwin, Jeremy Kyle and the editors of tabloid newspapers who have done a huge amount more damage to society than the average welfare claimant- even if people are too ignorant to see it. Instead of making sweeping generalisations, they should look further into the issues, or even better, not judge until they have been through the (very flawed)  cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... I have noticed a lot of people in paid jobs tend to be cold- most people do not like their jobs and as a result they take out their frustration on the unemployed. Workplace bullying is epidemic in this country but no one ever talks about it. Political Parties put huge emphasis on getting people into work but spend no time looking at the psychology behind motivation. I will not be forced into a low paid job or make a grovelling apology when I have not commited any crime and know cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... people to think more about the world around them, about philosophy and ideology. People can still be creative and productive. In my time unemployed, I have helped set up a Neighbourhood Watch, ran in my local council election, travelled, had articles published and conducted an extensive research into the history of London. I would happily spend 12 hours doing that because it would be my choice. Forced labour (which is part of Labour's New Deal programme) is not true freedom. cont...

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... to get a job whilst there are people who have been entirely honest in their proceedings but due to their situation rely on a form of welfare. Yet it is the latter who gets labelled 'dishonest'. Myth number 4 is the concept of laziness- the presumption that if someone is getting paid, they must be lazy. Rubbish. Being unemployed does not mean sitting on a sofa eating jumk food and watching junk tv- on the contrary, the time away from an imposed work system can actually enable cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... a crime by sentences such as 'Jobless A was convicted of assault' instead of 'Mr A, who is a teacher, was convicted of assault' The fact that Mr A is unemployed is actually irrelevant but the tabloids throw the employment status in because papers like the Sun and the Metro are deliberately trying to stir up hatred against the unemployed. Myth number 3 is the concept that having a paid job somehow qualifies you as 'honest' I have come across people who have lied on their CVs in order;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont; may be a higher ratio of offenders amongst the unemployed and welfare claimants, crime exists across the spectrum. Harold Shipman was a respected doctor and he was charged with mass murder, Dennis Nilsen worked in a jobcentre and he was a serial killer. Some of the most ruthless terrorists have had 'respectable' City jobs, at least three Labour MPs are facing fraud charges- my point is that it criminals come from all backgrounds. The tabloid press subtlely makes unemployment itself cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... that makes you 'an honest decent good person' and if you are unemployed you are 'dishonest lazy criminal' This logic makes my blood boil because it is riddled with flaws. For a start 'hard work' can be used for negative ends... it could be argued that Chairman Mao worked hard to impose the Great Leap Forward- a policy that killed 40 million Chinese. So 'hard work' in its own right is not exactly always a virtue. Myth number 2 is that only the unemployed commit crime. Whilst there cont;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

because there is so much to say on this subject, but there is barely a day goes by when I don't hear some ignorant comment, speech, report or article about the unemployed. And if truth be told, im utterly sick of it. The problem is we live in a society where there is a mindset of employment status being some sort of barometer of virtue and this is a mindset influenced by both the red top press (which I despise) and most political parties. The mindset is basically that if you have a paid job;

[Kat2006uk]

But I do not generalise unemployment I know plenty unemployed or you have been for a long time who don't want to be and then I know some who are the streotype and will do anything for money for nothing which is annoying to see when you have to waste 5 days of your week in a boring office wishing you were somewhere else all because you need to feed your family and clothe them and then get nothing in return.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

@Kat2006uk

You're right... there are those who exploit the system and as you say, fit the stereotype. I totally appreciate why people would be frustrated with those people. But I do think welfare claimants as a whole are being unfairly vilified and it is very hard to counter against that if you are in a minority group because if people do they are dismissed as ungrateful or whingers. I don't think most people realise what is going on in New Deal centres and the way claimants are treated.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

This is a issue I care about a lot so I hope you take a few seconds to read this Kat2006uk. You seem reasonably open minded and you wanted some feedback. Well this is my perspective; You mentioned that you don't want to receive any hate mail for your views. I can understand that. The problem is that right now the most demonised people in the UK are arguably welfare claimants. I am 24 which is obviously young but ive experienced a lot in my life and in recent years it has been the experience con;

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

cont... of long term unemployment. The long term factor is principally for two reasons; firstly the several different jobs I have had in the past I have chosen to leave for various reasons including corruption- I was being underpaid and have also suffered workplace bullying- the second reason is that the region I live in does does have the sort of jobs I am looking for- I think it is fundamentally wrong to go into a job because the system forces one to. I actually don't know where to start cont;

[Kat2006uk]

@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1 as you have bothered with such a long reply that has took me a few days to read on my lunch break from work (as I no longer have internet at home), you have made good points but I think the main argument that comes between the unemployed and employed is the fact that the JSA money is basically from the worker's pocket.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

@Kat2006uk

Well thats partially true but remember that many claimants do unpaid voluntary work and contribute to society that way... so actually it ultimately refurberates around anyway. I just hate the way employment status alone is regarded as a way to judge someone. I think there needs to be a serious evaluation into the way we think as a nation. The British work the longest hours in Europe and I think this has created a cold minded society. People who have stressful, long-hour jobs

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

understandly feel frustrated and want someone to blame. The unemployed are an easy target because they are already vilified as being criminals. I have a background in journalism and there is a very subtle way many papers report crime stories. If the offender happens to be unemployed they bring that into it as if their unemployed status is part of the crime so people instinctively associate not being in a paid job as somehow making someone 'dishonest' which in my view is rubbish.

[WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

There are of course selfish claimants who will exploit the system which is unfair to taxpayers and to honest claimants who will be tarred with the same brush. But the tabloids have successfully lead the wider public to believe this is all claimants. And both the Labour and Conservative parties have endorsed this view by their aggressive billboard campaigns. This really angers me because unemployment for most is no 'life of luxury'- it causes anxiety, alienation and many other problems.

[Kat2006uk]

I did this video a few years ago now and my position has changed in life generally I work because I have to provide for my 9 month baby and the one I have due in August I do not choose to, many of times it has been brought to my attention that I may even be better claiming JSA because as I have a reasonably paid job my partner can't claim JSA and only the fact that we have had a baby is that we can have help at all.

[Correctionism]

I know enough people who have chosen to be unemplyed. Have some pride! Support yourself. Support your family.

Kat - if only you had more ambition. Previous comments are right in that your eyes are beautiful x

[letsUnite]

hey hi! u have got a beautiful eyes..and you look beautiful. well, unemployment unfortunately..is not your fault, its the market, so my advice is not to worry too much. you seem pretty young, I would recommend you to get back to studies, educate yourself, make a ambition in your life, what you want to be..rather than just working in some stores n all!! ..this is indeed a good time to analysed your dreams(life objective), well..may be pick some good books 'think and grow rich' Good luck.

[obed]

the eyes!

[stuntladz]

yeah but its getting to the stage where lifes becoming so expensive that simply having an average payed job is a pointless excersise!! a waste of time if you cant afford to live or have any quality of life. its all about money and thats not how life should be! no wonder weve lost the human touch.

[badboyuk86]

Ah, But there is having a job and having job satisfaction. Sooner or later earning money isn't just simply enough. People need something more fulfilling.

[leighandlauren]

Some people do stay on the dole beacuse that's what suits them, but I think the vast majority want a job. But given the crap state of this country and the zero jobs on offer many people are on it for far longer than they would like. Being on the dole is no fun, contrary to popular belief. The whole process of claiming job seekers is deliberately designed to be as de-meaning, undignified and humiliating as possible. The whole thing is inpersonal and insincere.

[leighandlauren]

And how can you earn your own wage when there are barely any jobs? In real terms, probably over 2 million unemployed. Jobs on offer at any one time according to the govt, around 700,000. You do the maths.

[gloucesterharry]

I couldn't go on the dole because you dont have abything to do. I used to work at Tescos and really miss it, even though i'm still at college. I cant say i acheived anything there, but i earned enough money for a car and had a laugh with some great people. Without a job, dossing round the house or city centre is boring

[CliffBetweenTheLines]

I've been on the dole now because of disability for two years, but agree with you on the employment thing. I miss it.

[Kat2006uk]

I have nothing against people not working because of disability, I know people who can't, but then again I know people who fake disabilities not to work :-(..

[CliffBetweenTheLines]

Me too. They usually get handicap stickers for their autos too.

[dalekkiller]

If I'm not working I'm sleeping, still if I'm not working I go stir crazy.

[Kat2006uk]

Sounds pretty much like my life..

[MattAndi]

some people have just been given things their whole lives and then expect just expect it to happen. one's environment that they're bought up in and parenting have to do a lot with this subject, at least I think so.

[Kat2006uk]

I believe in that a lot from people I know...

[cnbaxxter]

well lazy guys will never work ... . Anyway i'm working like 10 hours a day and it's ... hard and .. not cool ... but i'm working...

[Kat2006uk]

Good! :-D

[richblingmore]

your still as gorgeous as you was yesterday lol,yes working for a living is self satisfying,gives you a sense of belonging and pride,a lot of people who choose not to work do so because in some cases they find they are better of financially if they dont work...ie no council tax of note..cheap rental(housing benefits)to name just a few ...bye take care;p

[Kat2006uk]

Thanks!

Great answer, I am actually guilty of once saying (after hearing the benefits of the housing someone on job seekers had), that I would quit and go on it!