How statistics hide true jobless figures

Arthur Hubbard doesn't count. The 62-year-old from Knighton, who has worked and paid into the system since he was 15, is unemployed.

But since he is not eligible for Job Seekers' Allowance or any State benefits – through no fault of his own – he does not appear in today's jobless figures.

Therefore he, like many others who have lost their jobs in recent months, is forgotten, a "hidden statistic" in the number of jobless.

It begs the question: how many other people in the UK are unemployed but don't show up in official government figures?

Depending on what you choose to count, unemployment in the UK could be as low as 1.6 million, or greater than 11 million.

The lower figure is the number of people currently claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, the UK's primary unemployment benefit.

The higher is the number of adults aged 16 to 64 who for one reason or another are not currently in employment in the UK.

However, this measure skews the 'reality' of the statistics as it includes people such as stay-at-home parents, long-term disabled people unable to work, and those who choose not to work for other reasons.

But certainly there are many people who are unemployed and actively seeking work but who don't show up in the jobless totals.

Factory worker Arthur, who has worked for 47 years and has conscientiously paid his taxes and National Insurance contributions, says: "People like me are getting swept under the carpet, we are not appearing on the statistics and I think it is wrong.

"I cannot claim Jobseekers' Allowance but I have been paying into the system for 47 years.

"I have been told that I have not paid enough in contributions in the last two years, and that is due to being made redundant twice in that time – something that is out of my control."

Presented with the idea that, whichever statistics you take to measure the number of people out of work, the number of people out of work could be anywhere between 1.6 million and more than 11 million, Arthur says: "I can well believe it.

"All I know is that I am an honest, hard-working chap who through no fault of my own have found myself out of work after many years of working and paying into the system."

He believes that people should be kept informed if they are not making enough National Insurance contributions to qualify them for benefits.

Arthur was laid off his last job in January. When he applied for Jobseekers' Allowance he was told that he was not entitled to the benefit because he had not paid enough National Insurance contributions in the previous two years.

Arthur explains: "The reason for me not making enough National Insurance contributions is because I was made redundant from my previous job in January 2010, when the company I worked for went into administration.

"I was asked to return to my former job with this company after a few months when a new owner took over, only to be made redundant again in May 2011 when the company went out of business."

There were brief spells of being out of work, where he received benefits, which Arthur assumed were docked for National Insurance contributions.

"But I was told (by the benefits office) 'you cannot claim what you have not paid'."

He adds: "Some people make a career out of being on benefits, they get everything. I am looking for work. I want to work. But I am 63 in August and that does not help."

With no benefit payments, he is dependent upon his wife. "It is a struggle now. It is an existence - there are no luxuries," he adds.

Terence Cotterill, 59, from Telford, is another who does not appear in today's jobless figures.

A floor layer for 40 years, he was laid off three years ago and has been out of full-time work since. However he is not in receipt of benefits because he was told he had not paid enough in National Insurance contributions. When Terence was initially laid off and for six months qualified for Jobseekers' Allowance.

But after that his benefits were stopped.

"I was told I had run out of stamp contributions and they stopped my money," he continues.

"I had nothing. I had to live off my wife. I did not come under any government figures but I was out of work and looking for work. And there are plenty of people in the same situation.

"I am doing a bit of part time work and having to depend on my wife. It frightens me as to what will happen when I get to a certain age – do they forget about me totally?"

And like many others, Terence feels that as a measure of the number of people out of work and looking for employment the jobless figures are barely worth the paper they are written on.

He says: "At the end of the day it looks good for the government – he is not claiming, therefore he is not classed as unemployed – but I am left on the scrapheap.We are just another statistic. Or rather we are not, because we don't even appear on the list."