“I sincerely hope so garyb2011, maybe we've all just had enough of the gloom and are getting on with it.

And by getting on with it I mean working harder and longer for less, doing a job we'd perhaps rather not.

Needs must when the devil drives!”

“With long term unemployment at its highest level since the previous Con government was in office, and youth unemployment steadily creeping upwards, the answer is no!

But with people increasingly accepting low paid part time jobs because there are no full time ones available, and the Olympics and summer holidays adding thousands of very short term jobs it may temporarily look like it.”

“Thanks Bob - thats why I like you - always looking for the upside. Always looking to crush the human spirit.

Part time job or no job? Tough choice when the Public Sector non-jobs are being cut. But worry not, the sprit of desire and enterprise is not yet dead. The desire to work and and be sucessful is part of the human condition and will win out in the end.

It's a tough and long road but the hard times make the good times taste sweeter.”

“Off course what must be accepted is that the hard times will has killed of many (if not most) good honest businesses that did not set out to con consumers or suppliers nor their employees. The will of course be replaced by those that do and are already receiving carte blanche to break laws cheat, maim, injure and kill workers and public alike without fear of law or claims of damages to others. These are not true businessmen but anarchists with their own one sided terms. They who want no laws will be judged by lawlessness and history as was Hitler.

My parents taught me responsibility comes before any rights, freedom of choice or in-deed anything. Without responsibility you have no entitlement to anything.

Off course what must be accepted is that the hard times will have killed of many (if not most) good honest businesses, that refused to stoop to neither conning consumers, sup-pliers nor their employees. They will of course be replaced by those that have demanded the right to receiving carte blanche from governments to break laws cheat, maim, injure and kill both workers and public alike, without fear of legal redress or claims of damages to others. These are not true businessmen but anarchist conmen demanding by blackmail compliance with their terms and conditions.

They who want no laws will however be judged by lawlessness and history as was Hit-ler. We now have people working 12 hours plus per day, then driving home creating as much danger than an unlicensed drunk at the wheel.

My parents taught me responsibility comes before any rights, freedom of choice or in-deed anything. Without responsibility you have no entitlement to anything.”

“The desire to work and and be successful is part of the human condition. I agree.

So all we need now is a competent government which knows how to create suitably paid jobs.

Unfortunately we have the incompetent, unimaginative Con boy Osborne (he who has no idea what to do about his failed plan A) as Chancellor. So no chance for the time being!”

“Not according to the statistics for this region where jobs fell by 5 percent.

When you look at the National Statistics, they are taking into account part time work and Students with Saturday jobs as "employed". It's down to what you interpret from the "Facts".

We aren't out of the woods yet, and we need to keep at it. But that's easier said than done - I see people trying to get the young into work. I went for an interview - 20 people were dismissed at the assessment stage - I passed with flying colours only to be told I'd be bored, and should be applying for a management job - which is all well and good, but there weren't any avaialable and pride doesn't pay bills. I'd sooner be bored and earning, and have my foot in the door, than constantly searching whilst my gratuity from 22 years in the forces which was meant to buy something nice - ends up paying the bills. And there are thousands of 40 plus year olds like me in the same situation - we have the experience, but we have commitments,
the young have no commitments and can be paid less - but they don't have the experience.

Not the best time to be out of work.”

“Well think Leicester is about to suffer more job loss as it was reported recently British gas is moving its call centre to India. Its sad that company's are making Job loss's and taking the work away. It will have a huge impact on those individuals and future employment in the city. I wonder if the government could liaise with companies to persuade them to stay and support the British economy and workforce. Surely they could offer incentives.”

“Of course employment hit the highest level in four years this August...It doesn't take a genius to tally that with the employment at the Olympics does it? :/”

“mam35

erm - not just the Olympics - I'm no 'genius' but I donlt think that 1 million private sector jobs are all in East London

Employers are taking people on - good thing or not? I guess not for you”

“temporary or part-time mainly...part-to=ime work is also at its highest level...and what do you mean by your last comment?”

“I mean that you comment was negative.

More jobs of any type are a good start in my book - I sense that you do not agree”

“No I don't agree, if the figures were a trustworthy indication of improvement in the jobs market then I would..Unfortunately they are not..merely seasonal, temporary, and part-time in the main. The facts are there is a shortage of good quality full-time jobs that pay a living wage..people can work part-time and temporarily and still be reliant on benefits to survive.”

“We Should do what they did in France.
Approach the English Heritage, National Trust, BBC, Department of Employment and all of the Guilds of Master Craftsmen and have a large - long term Televised project to completely restore a Castle or Cathedral or Abbey, then operate it as a working Museum to give a boost to a region which needs it.

You could involve - Graduates of History, Media Studies, Commerce and Business.
You could have the trusts involved and Sponsors from Universities and Business to chip in.
You could have Volunteers,
But most importantly - you could do like Monty Don did in his program and try to teach skills to a new generation, so they can be employed at the site and other sites long after it completes and go on to keep some trades alive,
Trades such as Stonemasonry, Weaving, Thatching, Scaffolding and Building, Glassblowing, Blacksmiths, Carpentry, Stained Glass Making.

As well as employing Historical on Site Actors - to work at the site and engage with the public.

It's a massive pipe dream but why can't we do things like this. Our History is our biggest asset, we could preserve it by working with it. We could do the same thing with Canals. It just takes a bit of enterprise.”

“Its a nice idea, but so much now is about making as much money as possible for as little cost as possible, mass production, mass consumerism. there doesnt seem to be much skill or pride involved.

Positions for qualified and skilled people seems to be rarer now aswell. My sons headmaster was saying yesterday that he had 127 applicants for a qualified teacher position..”

“maybe he should round them down to the best 5, then have a bidding war on wages,
it won't matter because they'll go on strike for a pay rise sooner or later. (sorry tongue in cheek dig at the teachers of my school days)”

“well I've seen plenty of jobs advertised.. Aldi in Blaby are looking for staff, plenty of cleaning jobs around!! oh, most people wouldn't like a cleaning job because they think they are better than cleaners! its a job, it will give you money go and do it..”

“Mart, you may have seen plenty of jobs but how long were they available for? How many applicants for those jobs will be unsuccessful? Your point about cleaners is also a little off as most if not all employers would actually expect to be employing people with experience so there's every chance that the people you say think they are better simply wouldn't be offered the opportunity.

There may be those who will avoid work at all cost and you will see jobs advertised on a daily basis but the problem is that there are still not enough jobs to go around.”

“If we had no immigration, then we would have full employment ? If we had full employment we would not have a recession ?

We can blame immigration for the recession!”

“Umm, so who here has a job and hasn't? x”

“With this unfair, right wing Con government, it certainly is a case of the devil driving, isn't it.

But there is no need. Con Governments do not merely have to pander to their wealthy friends and party donors. They could work for the benefit of all, couldn't they. It's a pity they don't.

But to answer the question again: With long term unemployment at its highest level since the previous Con government was in office, and youth unemployment steadily creeping upwards, the answer is most definitely no, we have not turned the corner! And with just severe austerity measures from the incompetent Con boy Osborne, we never will. We need Plan B with investment especially in 'green' industries and low cost housing and schools.”

“Mart-001..Your head is still in the last decade, if you think you can just leisurely walk into an interview and get a job, its not like that now, even if not a highly paid job. Last time a supermarket around here had some jobs available this happened...

http://tinyurl.com/6vvo9fe”

“Thanks Bob

For another typically negative response which does not answer the question.”

“A very odd comment garyb!

Does not this comment answer your question? "With long term unemployment at its highest level since the previous Con government was in office, and youth unemployment steadily creeping upwards, the answer is most definitely no, we have not turned the corner!"

And exactly how is it negative? It even points to how to improve matters: "We need Plan B with investment especially in 'green' industries and low cost housing and schools."

Or are you one of those people who hear only what they want to hear, and see only what they want to see, like the Con boy Osborne?”

“@leicestermale: "If we had no immigration, then we would have full employment ? If we had full employment we would not have a recession ? We can blame immigration for the recession!"

Or:

If we had no xenophobes, then we would have more logic. If we had more logic, we would not have hysterical foreigner-hate spewed on this site. We can blame xenophobes for the hysterical foreigner-hate spewed on this site!”