The unemployment figures are frightening. It is likely that they are going to get much worse.
But this slide shows us a deeper trend. What it shows to me is that the idea of "Job" as a full time object that can support a person or even a family, is disappearing. There has been a huge jump in recent months - but the long term time line of this data shows us that this is a structural change.
I suspect that the costs for an employer in employing people conventionally are a factor? Not only are there huge tax costs of being an employer - but also meeting a vast array of other regulations adds structural cost. I wonder if all the protection that we have added to "protect" employees has inadvertently made it too expensive to offer full time jobs?
As we struggle to find a way of getting more people back to work - I think it is worth looking at the burden we impose on employment?
