Lies, Damn lies and Government Statistics

http://news.sky.com/story/961678/olympics-give-uk-jobs-market-a-boost

The manipulation of statistics on behalf of governments is nothing new. The way in which inflation figure are calculated and announced always depends upon which set of measurements is most flattering to government policies at that time. RPI or CPI ? It depends on whether there is an r in the month. The art of manipulating figures was not in fact, invented by Thatcher, but it was certainly developed during the 1980's into a very persuasive method of convincing the public into accepting the lies of government in respect of many aspects of British society. If the figures used last month for example, do not show improvement, then change the method of calculation by adding something here or omitting something there until you reach the position that you had decided that you wanted in the first place, then call it something else, and hey presto, all is well. Previous, and subsequent governments to Thatcher have all indulged in this cynical skullduggery. This ConDem coalition is no exception. Today's unemployment figures are no exception. On the one hand, there is euphoria that the number of unemployed fell by 65,000 in the 3 months to May to 2.58 million or 8.1% of the UK workforce. Down 0.1% on Aprils figure. However, the numbers claiming Jobseeker's Allowance jumped by 6,100 last month to 1.6 million, including an increase of 8,000 among women to 530,700, the highest figure for 17 years. So the number claiming benefit increase while the number out of work falls. That, to me at least, is a tadd confusing. Now, if you have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for 12 months, you are no longer counted in the unemployed figure but are moved some where else. More confusion. The pundits and politicians on our television screens will no doubt revel in the euphoria of the "green shoots of recovery" for the economy while the presenters on Sky News, never known for impartiality when it comes to Tory propaganda, will ensure that their good news is repeated often enough to convince themselves at least. The people of course, are expected to soak it all up and be thankful for the "progress" on the road to economic recovery.

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