UK riots draw attention to unemployment
Post date: Aug 12, 2011 4:9:36 PM
After Britain endures its worst riots of recent decades, many experts are urging the government to address potential underlying causes including severe levels of youth unemployment.
UK-YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT - A semblance of normality returns to the streets of Britain after days of rioting and looting.
Police have now arrested hundreds of those involved and many will face time behind bars.Some experts, however, worry authorities may overlook potential underlying causes from government spending cuts to a lack of jobs.
Despite the public's demand for justice, they say a ferocious crackdown on the culprits is not the long-term answer.
Professor Gus John is from the University of London.
Professor Gus John, University of London
"Now many people waiting in the wings, so to speak, So even if you jail all of the people who were on the streets yesterday. There are many more like them whom we've got to content with and we have to find a way of doing that constructively."
Given the age of many rioters, there's an increasing focus on youth unemployment.
Approximately one million people aged between 16 and 24 are officially deemed out of work.
At more than 20 percent, it's the highest figure since the mid-eighties doubling in the last three years alone.
But some economists say the development does not just reflect broader difficulties in the UK economy.
Jonathan Portes is the Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
Jonathan Portes, Director, National Institute of Economic and Social Research
"Britain has a serious problem with a large group of disadvantaged young people who've been essentially failed by the educational system, not got any decent skills or qualifications and hence have very few decent prospects in today's labour market."
Elsewhere in Europe, jobless problems are even more acute.
Youth unemployment in Spain is more than 44 percent while Greece is not that far behind.
The lack of jobs and severe austerity measures have already triggered serious unrest in these countries.
It's prompted talk of a "lost generation", but some are wary of drawing too many parallels with the UK where the labour market is comparatively more robust.
Darcy Lambton, Reuters