Caught in the unemployment trap

It is welcome the unemployment rate is dropping, but statistics can be deceiving.

Our unemployment figures exclude many who are not in the labour force — people on CE & Tús schemes, those on disability payments and owners of failed small businesses.

There are hundreds of thousands of people unemployed. The effects of unemployment are devastating. The most obvious and immediate effect is poverty — if the food pyramid is the guide for healthy eating, then social welfare rates are insufficient. Poverty undermines health and wellbeing. It has been recently reported by Sean Healy that 750,000 people live in poverty — this in a country that not only tolerates, but exalts tax exiles.

The longer unemployment lasts, the more undermining it becomes and the harder it is to escape. Being unemployed destroys routine, taking purpose and shape from the day. It reduces a person’s opportunity to apply skills, knowledge and experience. It also reduces challenge and the opportunity for achievement, which is a key human need.

For some, simply getting out of bed each day is difficult as there is nothing to anticipate or look forward to. They [unemployed people] also report a progressive drop in self confidence and self esteem, a loss of energy and motivation and a sense that life is passing them by. There is a loss of hope: it gets harder to sustain effort as someone who is unemployed does not see the possibility of a positive outcome.

The question most people dread in social interaction is “what do you do?” They feel they have no answer to give that does not diminish them.

In many cases this means being unemployment can lead to withdrawal and isolation. I’ve spoken to people who say they try to stay out of sight during the day because they are ashamed.

Over time, the danger of slipping into depression rises. The experience can be soul destroying. A prisoner at least gets a definite release date, a person out of work for a long time with little prospects does not. Given the magnitude of the current crisis the state’s response has been wholly inadequate and painfully slow.

The unemployment crisis is a bigger issue than the banking crisis, but we hear far more from the Government about credit ratings than we do about the current state of unemployment.

Let us not forget the people behind the current figure of 11.7%. Their dreams and aspirations have been put on hold for far too long.

Gerard Fitzpatrick

Ballyhooly

Mallow

Co Cork