Putting the cat back into the bag
There are some great fun and games here in Ireland at the moment.
For those of you of a foreign persuasion, our Economic and Social Research Institute [ESRI] produced the results of a study. The meeja picked up on it a couple of days ago and ran with it.
Recently the ESRI ran a report that analysed the financial state of the employment market and came up with a result that didn’t particularly surprise anyone. They discovered that 15% of workers with no children would be better off jacking in their jobs and sponging off the state. Of those with children, 44% would be better off. The only real surprise was that the figures were so high.
Everyone here knows that the cost of working is very high, between exorbitant childcare costs, very expensive fuel and punitive taxation, so if you are a low income earner you are lucky to break even.
On the other hand, if you are on Social Welfare you get your weekly package, but on top of that comes all the perks and allowances which, when they are all added up come to a tidy sum.
There are two conclusions that can be drawn from this. One is that the average lowly worker is being hammered left right and centre, and once you take out the hefty taxes and general expenses our taxpayer is barely making ends meet. The other is that the unemployed have themselves a very nice gravy train at the workers’ expense.
Of course our gubmint didn’t like the idea of telling nearly half the workforce that they really should quit their jobs if they had any sense, and I can’t say I blame ‘em. But what can you do when the figures have been published and are out there for everyone to see?
What they did was to try to follow the path of the anti-smokers and the global warming alarmists – they told the ESRI to take back the figures and strongly hinted that they should “adjust” them. The gubmint claimed that the general public might be “misled” by the figures in their current form. So essentially the gubmint are saying “look, you may be a lot better off sponging off the state, but we don’t really want you to believe it.”
The gubmint have a bit of a problem. Do they just forget about the report and hope the plebs will do likewise? Do they “persuade” the ESRI to produce a new report with a different set of figures?
There are times when I almost feel sorry for them.
Almost.
I read this Non Report & the media coverage of same & was particularly struck by
“A childless worker would need €7,000 a year to cover expenses such as lunches and commuting – working out at €140 per week.That cost would rise to €9,000 for those with young children.”
I pay over €9,000pa in Childcare alone & this is only for 3 days a week, my next door neighbour will pay over €26,000 for childcare this year, this is before any other transport or work related costs are factored in, so it’s no wonder a lot of people would be better off on the dole.
Yeah but int he gubmint’s eyes children are a luxury not a necessity!
Lafsword – I honestly don’t know how [or even why] some people do it. I watched a programme the other night and they interviewed people commuting between Donegal and Dublin, and between Cork and London. They must have great salaries to cover the enormous costs! It is honestly no wonder that so many chose unemployment.
Not Green – Very shortsighted… they need today’s kids for tomorrows taxes.
I dont think anyone chooses unemployment considering we had near total employment not long ago
How many people are employed by ESRI? It seems to be a white elephant.
Dark – You’d be surprised. There are plenty out there who would be only too glad of a free ride. There is also the aspect that it removes the incentive for the unemployed to seek work.
Ger – If we shut down all these qangos and NGOs the country would be awash with unemployed. I would certainly love to know how the ESRI could justify their existence.
Also removes the chance of people living in poverty or resorting to wide scale petty crime the sheer amount of short begrudging about the dole these days is insane think some wouldnt be happy till every ones begging on the street chaseing imaginary jobs