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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find the term "economically inactive" offensive?

56 replies

cheapskatemum · 09/12/2010 16:38

It was the only option that fitted my current status as regards employment on a form. I'm not in paid employment as we can manage on OH's income, have 4 DSs & one of them has severe SN. I don't even mind being called a housewife, but "economically inactive"?!!! If I wasn't a SAHM, there's no way OH could do what he does. (logs off to prevent steam emitting from ears misting up windows)

OP posts:
colditz · 09/12/2010 18:19

Why on earth does she feel the need for two nannies?

unfitmother · 09/12/2010 18:20

It's a description of your status, not a value judgement.

Bonsoir · 09/12/2010 18:24

She has three children (6 and twins of 2), a FT job with overseas travel and her exH lives in Shanghai.

huddspur · 09/12/2010 18:25

YABU we have to differentiate the unemployed from those who deliberately out of the labour market

sethstarkaddersmum · 09/12/2010 18:37

I have a friend with 2 nannies - she works long and unpredictable hours plus a commute and so does her dp.

ISNT · 09/12/2010 19:28

Economically inactive covers people who would like to work but cannot or do not claim benefits. It's not necessarily an indicator of whether people are looking for work or not. You can definitely not use it to mean "don't want to work" as that's not necessarily true.

Uberl33tzteenMLG · 14/12/2011 00:43

Economically inactive - people of a working age who are neither employed nor unemployed (textbook)

i only have one nintendo DS i see no reason to buy 4 unless you are playing multi-player games but i usually play alone anyway my old DS screens had broken so i can see your reason for buying Spare DS incase one breaks Xmas Grin

xyfactor · 14/12/2011 00:48

Some people do mind being called a housewife.
Some get annoyed about being called unemployed.
It's probably best all round that we stop labelling people and issuing us with numbers and chip and pin facilities.

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 14/12/2011 01:11

I am 'economically inactive', because I am a SAHM by choice.

I have no problem with the term at all.

stuffedauberginexmasdinner · 14/12/2011 01:25

This thread is 21 months old!

Tianc · 14/12/2011 02:24

Everything BeenBeta says.

And I know it's an old thread, but actually this is really topical, because failure to fully understand the economic participation of huge swathes of the nation is pretty serious when you're restructuring the economy.

This is actually a #frothers topic.

SlinkingOutsideInSocks · 14/12/2011 04:58

It's just a capitalist free market, liberal economic term.

We SAHMs need to be categorised somehow within this model, so this is the most accurate. Well, it's not really, since we spend money, if not generate it. You're hardly economically inactive if you're spending money.

It doesn't mean a jot beyond this, so I can't be bothered working up any sort of outrage.

lesley33 · 14/12/2011 06:14

No they can't just have housewife as it includes a whole lot of people who are not housewifes. Either they have loads of categories or they have 1 that covers loadsof people in which case the term has to be a catch all. A charity will ask you this as their funders - probably the government or lottery - will have demanded they collect this information as a condition of any grant.

TroublesomeEx · 14/12/2011 09:18

"Economically inactive" is a shocking term.

Not only is it untrue, as other people have said, but it defines a person in terms of what they are not, rather than what they are.

Alibaba Every time you spend money you are being economically active.

lesley33 · 14/12/2011 09:20

So what would you call this group of people then?

TroublesomeEx · 14/12/2011 09:21

it defines a person in terms of what they are not, rather than what they are

that.

I have a big thing about people being defined in terms of what they are not. I am not a lot of things! I'd rather be defined according to what I am.

It positions those not earning money as 'other'. Not a good place to be. 'Other' doesn't have authority or a voice.

lesley33 · 14/12/2011 09:22

So what would you call them - given that the charity will probably have to collect this information for their funder?

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 14/12/2011 09:26

But it is nothing to do with spending or anything else, it is a term to classify employment status.

The state has no business knowing why I am not seeking work, but it is helpful for it to know that I am not. I don't want to be counted in any unemployment figures, because even if my perfect job landed in my lap this afternoon I wouldn't take it.

What else should I be? Full-time mother would suit me, but people seem to view that as a slight on WOHMs so that won't do. Housewife? No thanks.
What term would you view as acceptable?

Glitterknickaz · 14/12/2011 09:29

I wouldn't say saving this country 9 grand a week is inactive, would you?

SardineQueen · 14/12/2011 09:36

Oh that's spooky

I was reading this thread and then suddenly came across my posts from the first time around!

Pleased to see I spoke sense Grin

This thread is two years old peeps!

Alibabaandthe80nappies · 14/12/2011 09:44

Glitter - you are a carer though, aren't you? So that needs classifying differently IMO.

Tianc · 14/12/2011 09:54

If we need a term for not in paid employment, how about "Not in paid employment"?

lesley33 · 14/12/2011 10:06

No not accurate as they needed to record those officially unemployed. So having 3 categories of those employed, registered unemployed and not in paid employment would just attract complaints from those seeking work, but not officially unemployed.

I'm not saying I like the term "economically inactive", just that it is hard to come up with something better.

TroublesomeEx · 14/12/2011 10:12

I don't know what term I would consider appropriate. My biggest issue with the term though is that it defines people in terms of what they are not and not what they are.

This might not be important to everyone, and that's fine.

The fact is, there are lots of people who are not working and earning money, but the umbrella term economically inactive does two things.

It necessarily describes all those who are working as economically active, thus creating an authority voice and an 'other', and it also lumps everyone who doesn't work in together. 'Active' is always preferable to 'inactive' (or dormant)

This has the effect of categorising everyone who doesn't work in the same group. Therefore, the woman who has chosen to be a SAHM to bring up her children; the carer who has had to give up work to look after a disabled child/partner/parent; the person who simply chooses not to work; the reckless and the feckless all get categorised together.

The message: this country values those who 'work' and doesn't value those who don't.

This is a bit garbled, I know. I've got to go out in a minute. But that's just my opinion!

Actually, I like 'not in paid employment' that's different to being 'unemployed'. It recognises that you are gainfully employed/occupied but that you do not receive payment for it.

Glitterknickaz · 14/12/2011 10:13

agree with folkgirl...