To not believe the official unemployment figures?

[caddywally]

Unemployment in the UK is apparently the lowest it's been since the 70s, but I'm not seeing anything in the real world that backs this up.

Most jobs I see advertised pay minimum wage. Real wages haven't substantially in a while. My partner has spent the last 4 months applying for job after job and has only just managed to find one - a zero hours contract through an agency who keep anything he's paid above minimum wage.

I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but does anyone else think it doesn't add up?

It has not added up since the 80s. Early retirement, SAHMs, those not in receipt of benefits.

Would be higher if we did not have people doing Mickey Mouse degrees as well, and if we had as many leave school at 16 as did when I was that age.

The figures given relate to unemployed people who are in receipt of state benefits

And it doesn't include the large amount of people who are self-employed and topping up with tax credits...

I agree it's utter bull shit. Half of those will be people on ZHCs or poor souls who have been sanctioned.
Either Esther Mcvey thinks we're all deluded or this is even bigger proof of how out of touch she is.

It’s done by survey so does include people not in receipt of benefits. It would also include people who don’t want to take fruit picking jobs. It doesn’t include SAHP not looking for work because they aren’t unemployed. Likewise retired people

There definitely is a problem in that they’re missing the underemployed which is a massive problem.

Millions of people are on zero hour contracts or are ‘self-employed’ working in the gig economy eg deliveroo riders. They all count as ‘employed’ hence the record high number of people in work and very low unemployment figures.