WHAT IS THE BEST MEASURE OF EMPLOYMENT AND ... - TARA

Table E Discouraged Workers and Passive Jobseekers classified by Sex and
length of time since last worked, 1986
Category
Never
had a
Job
Within
previous
year
Period since last worked
1-2
years
2 years
or over
Total
Thousands
Discouraged Workers
Male
0 5
0 5
0 4
2 1
3 5
Female
0 6
0 3
0 2
4 7
5 8
Passively seeking full-time
work
Male
CVJ
0 9
0 7
3 2
5 9
Female
0 7
0 3
0 3
0 4
1 6
Passively seeking part-time
work
Male
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 1
0 2
Female
0 3
0 1
0 1
1 2
1 7
Total
Male
1 7
1 3
1 1
5 4
9 5
Female
1 6
0 7
0 6
6 3
9 2
For both males and females in these categories about one in six indicated that
they had never held jobs other than holiday work About a quarter of the males
and one seventh of the females indicated that they had worked within the past
two years while over half the males and two thirds of the females indicated that
while they had worked previously, it had been more than two years ago -
cases where the actual duration was not stated have been included with this
latter category It is not unlikely that persons who have never been successful
in getting a job or who have lost jobs and endured a number of unsuccessful
jobsearch attempts may not actively engage in jobseeking At the national
level labour market policies should not overlook such persons Furthermore,
any international comparisons of unemployment levels which fail to take
account of them are, in my view, not complete and could lead to misleading
conclusions Others take a different position, the matter has been extensively
discussed at international meetings without any agreed consensus emerging
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