Unemployment is a Vicious Cycle

Long-term unemployment is itself an obstacle to obtaining a new job.

Long-term unemployment is itself an obstacle to obtaining a new job, according to the Institute for Employment Studies.

The organisation explains that, the longer an individual is out of work, the harder it can prove for them to find a new position.

And this does not only apply to the unemployed, but also to those pursuing post-graduate or adult training courses.

Jim Hillage, director of research at the institute, comments that Scotland is one part of the UK where the trend is particularly apparent.

But he adds that there is "strong evidence" nationwide to support the notion that the long-term unemployed become less employable as a result.

In England, though, Mr Hillage suggests that the situation could be improving, with fewer than one in ten adults in neither employment nor training.

His estimate of nine per cent is lower than has been the case in previous years, he points out.

The spokesperson adds that government efforts to help school leavers into work have assisted in reducing the unemployed figure.

But he adds that vulnerable individuals - such as those who immediately leave home - can be difficult to track in statistical reports.

Recent figures from the Scottish government show that, among 2008 school leavers, around 11 per cent became unemployed.