The economic situation isn't getting any better and many people are still either facing redundancy, facing potential redundancy and therefore killing themselves trying to impress, or have been out of work for some time. Having been unemployed recently for almost a year I can say with honesty that there is no dignity in claiming benefits hence I cannot see how anyone could conceivably get away with not trying to find work. There are however in parts of the country areas where few people have ever worked. See the programme Bottom Line which was on Thursday evening with Mary Portas to see the effects of long term structural unemployment on particular localities. Those areas suffer disproportionately due to the loss of our manufacturing base. In those areas I can believe that many have never worked and see no point in searching as there simply are no jobs out there. When I was unemployed it was the deepest part of the recession and there was nothing to apply for. As a highly skilled professional I applied for jobs as a lollipop lady and exam invigilator, amongst many others, however was successful on one not the other however I couldnt afford to take up either really as neither job would cover my childcare costs so I would be working at a loss. Much as I am now really with three young children where I subsidise my employer in many ways, in time where I often work hours for free just to keep my outputs up and to meet impossible deadlines caused by incompetent management and also in transport costs where they make it nigh impossible to claim travel expenses and it comes back so late anyway, I hardly bother any more. I think people like me might one day wake up and see how theyve been taken for fools. If I lost my current job I am really not sure whether I would actively look for another one like I did last time, as its so darn difficult making the books balance with childcare demands, and also the compromised parenting that that involves. I'd be honestly seeing what the benefit system would offer me and dont mind admitting that.