As a number of economists have noted, the recession so far has involved some pretty deep employment cuts, which have in turn helped to produce some pretty large increases in productivity.
The fear of technological job loss is real but, I suspect, exaggerated, because it occurs after a period when deep employment losses for other reasons — the financial crisis and Great Recession — have made people extra sensitive to any threat to their livelihoods.
The number of self-employed ambassadors increased by a third between 2009 and 2011, to reach 300,000 – an indication of how dynamic the business is and perhaps how deep the employment crisis is.
Raj Badiani, an economist at the French bank Société Générale, said pressure was mounting on Italy to its tackle deep-seated employment restrictions and barriers to new private sector investment, adding that without reforms, the country is unlikely to end its double-dip recession, which has last nearly two years.
United States manufacturing is already in deep crisis, with employment having declined every month since President Bush took office -- a total of 2.8 million lost manufacturing jobs.
Rolling out workfare for large numbers of benefit claimants would be prohibitively costly (with recent suggestions costing upwards of £1 billion in the first year alone) and would ignore the very deep barriers to employment facing many jobseekers.
The other is a reduction in the unemployment rate, which has fallen as employers have dipped deeper into the employment pool to find the workers they need.
Yet, for all the fanfare the government gives the employment figures, deep problems remain.
The letter, passed to the Guardian, warns more than 800,000 people with disabilities will be hit by the reforms, and expresses deep concern that the employment minister, Chris Grayling, has said the government defeats in the Lords will be overturned.
It's important to know as much as you can about the job market, but a deep acquaintance with the employment numbers is not sufficient.
After five years of negative economic growth, the Greek electorate — with incredible courage — told the so-called Troika that they had had enough, especially with these deep cuts in wages, employment, and pension transfers.
