To expect the UK's 1 million unemployed to get a job as a Care Worker?

[SquireOfGreenway]

The number of people unemployed in the UK is just over 1 million - the lowest it's been since the early 1970s. However, we should still surely expect that figure to be even lower.

From next year, it may be much harder for care-providing organisations to recruit European migrants to fill their Care Worker vacancies.

Surely, it is reasonable to expect any UK resident who is unemployed, claiming job-seekers allowance and so far unable to get a job to be required to get a job as a Care Worker? If they don't then they should be sanctioned and lose their state benefits.

I am not just talking about Care Work. I am talking about all minimum-wage and minimum-wage plus jobs that we have been relying on European migrants to fill.

Why not? There will always be maybe a few 100,000s unemployed, as people move from one job to another, etc. But why should there be a million unemployed people if there is a shortage of workers in any industry that does not require any great level of pre-entry qualifications?

Care work should never be regarded as 'unskilled' and people who work as care or support workers should be paid in accordance to the skills and responsibilities that they need, even to do the most 'basic' care work, never mind to work the shifts they work.

Furthermore, caring and hospitality often take on temporary workers or workers on zero hours contracts. As OP have stated, the hours are unsocial, so people who have families and full rent to pay may find it difficult to commit.

I do think that caring and hospitality, should be seen as careers, through which individuals who choose the pathways can be trained properly and given the opportunity to progress.

This government's proposed immigration policy is not well thought out. It needs to be accompanied by a focus on robust vocational training, and an overhaul of employers who refuse to pay a living wage.

However, this policy will be accompanied (I fear) by draconian welfare reforms which will possibly force very inappropriate people into caring or other roles.

Or Britain should just give care workers, fruit pickers etc a decent living wage to start with, then the British would want to do those jobs (if they are able)

For better or worse we're going to continue facilitating people to come to the UK to pick fruit cheaply, there will be a visa available.

The care problem is hugely more complex because the margins are already very tight. We don't fund it properly and because of our ageing population it's going to get worse not better. In order to do what you suggest, we will need to spend more money on care. This is likely to involve higher taxation from at least somewhere (not necessarily income tax) and/or more people funding care costs from their own assets, ie their houses. At the moment it's only a certain section of people needing care that have to do the latter.

Unfortunately, the general population has yet to get their heads round this reality and both ideas have been rejected by the electorate. May's suggestion in 2017 may well have been what lost her the majority.

However, this policy will be accompanied (I fear) by draconian welfare reforms which will possibly force very inappropriate people into caring or other roles.

Bingo. I mean, how else do we think it's going to be done? People already don't want to or can't do those jobs and aren't. No proposals have been made to start funding care properly, which means the wages aren't going to be increased to make it more attractive. So if it isn't carrot, and it won't be, it'll have to be stick.

There are of course many economically inactive people who are beyond Priti's reach and will be able to tell her to fuck off as they live off private sources of income and support, be it a partner funding all household costs when a SAHP is at home full time, or an early retiree living off their own savings. There are lots of others who aren't. Unexempt pensioners from the bedroom tax and make parents be available for work when their youngest is 2 not 3, there's tens thousands of people 'nudged' back in for at least part time work already. And so on.

I'm reasonably good at my job, I'd be a pretty lousy care worker. If I lost my job but was prevented from looking for an equivalent because I got channelled into care work, that would be a straightforward lose-lose situation. If I was allowed to job-search, that would mean that I would disappear at the earliest possible opportunity which wouldn't be great for the people I was looking after, either.

If I lost my job but was prevented from looking for an equivalent because I got channelled into care work, that would be a straightforward lose-lose situation.

economically inactive is by definition neither employed nor unemployed. so you should be save

It seems they expect Sahms (at home by choice, largely), the disabled (often too I'll to work), carers (who can often not work as no care is available for those they are looking after) and the retired to do the care work.

Can really see crime and cash in hand/black market work exploding with this. 'You can work hoisting adults who are potentially violent with dementia onto the toilet and wipe arses or sell these drugs for this dealer'. What a conundrum. Added bonus, if you get caught supplying you get banged up, all bills paid, no JobCentre hounding you every week or 35 hours/week applying for jobs you'll never get and then when you get out you're a convicted criminal so no more being threatened with having to do care work anymore. Win-win.

OP are you Boris Johnson?

Yabvu .

Was just saying to my friend yesterday how disgraceful the conditions are for care work ( no work life balance , couldn’t live off wage , attacked/abused with no company support.

Also not everyone suits care work . It isn’t unskilled and not everyone can do it. The government / companies need to make it a more attractive profession , not force people into it .

a good deal of the unemployed need a carer the themselves. At the moment there are horrendous reports of abuse by carer and you want any stranger to walk in and do that job! sorry but that is a bit deluded.

So if it isn't carrot, and it won't be, it'll have to be stick

Better hope the Coronavirus doesnt take hold here then. People are already too frightened to take time off/ or be unable to attend JC appointments etc when they have a cold.

metro.co.uk/2020/02/22/care-workers-immigration-system-12268261/