FT Columnist Samuel Brittan states that there are more economically 'inactive' people of working age than there were a decade ago, despite New Labour's claims of falling unemployment. Moreover, he states that 'there are now 2.3m men of working age who are economically inactive compared with 400,000 20 years ago. As might be expected, the rate is highest among men over 50, of whom 28 per cent are outside the labour force ... About 1m men under 50, or 8 per cent of the total, are now inactive compared with fewer than 1 per cent in the mid-1970s'

The UK is not getting wealthier, it's getting more unequal and job insecurity and disguised unemployment is on the increase. Don't believe the New Labour hype.