Are job search reforms ‘are unrealistic’
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research said David Cameron’s proposals to make job seekers search longer and wider for vacancies before getting state help were “unrealistic” and at odds with the “limited” number of jobs available.
Research fellow at NIESR, Heather Rolfe said that the majority of unemployed people were trying to get a job but “actually, the jobs aren’t there. There are a limited number of jobs to apply for”, she said. This came after David Cameron reiterated his plans at the Conservative Party conference to stamp out the “something for nothing” culture and make the jobless do more to deserve state benefits.
The proposals include plans to make job seekers spend “several hours” a day looking for a job, those claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance benefits to search for work within a 90-minute commuting distance from their home, and for Jobcentre staff to monitor employees’ job search efforts through a new website, set to be in place by next April. Jobseekers’ applications and the time spent searching for vacancies through the new website will be recorded centrally to keep track of progress.
Ms Rolfe has criticised these plans heavily due to the cost of community and stating that the internet is “the way middle class professionals look for jobs, but not the long-term unemployed” who use a range of approaches.
For the full article and more comments from the NIESR think tank click here
Website: The Telegraph
Amanda Frewin
Research & Project Support
