Unit 2: UK unemployment January 2010: Total numbers and the inequity of the burden of unemployment in the UK

The latest unemployment figues

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8470450.stm BBC video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8469648.stm BBC article
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/unemployment+drops+for+first+time+in+18+months/3509152 Ch4 video and analysis. The article has some good hyperlinks in it
http://www.anforme.co.uk/blog/?p=1033 anforme analysis

a) Why has the unemployment total not risen as fast as anticipated?

The personal stories of some of the young unemployed in the UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8469526.stm

A minister explaining the latest data and how different groups are hit differently

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8470017.stm

b)To what extent is unemployment a significant economic problem in the UK?