Final Word from Monday, February 11, 2013
The first step to solving a problem is to admit there is one, but the state is doing all it can to mask the growing unemployment problem. The switch to a new methodology that magically lowered the jobless rate in Jan. from 10.1% to 8.0% is only part of the subterfuge. The labor ministry also covers over the problem of youth unemployment by stating that youth make up 6.1% of all those out of a job, instead of admitting that more than 20% of young people are now unemployed. The numbers also fail to take into account the thousands of self-employed people who struggle to make enough to cover the min. taxes they must pay. Then there are the people who take early retirement to avoid going on the dole. Nor do the statistics reflect the growing number of temporary agency workers who are technically employed but who enjoy lower benefits and job security than regular employees. If the labor ministry tracked the number of people with secure employment, the reality of what is happening on the job market would be more evident.[Czech Republic joblessness student]
Glossary of difficult words
subterfuge - deceit used in order to achieve one's goals;
to cover over something - to hide something;
to struggle - to strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance;
the dole - a benefit paid by the government to the unemployed.