Past Present Future Now & Then with Robert Saunders: Whatever Happened to Unemployment?
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Aug 10, 2025 Historian Robert Saunders joins to explore the fascinating history of unemployment in the UK. He discusses the landmark 1% unemployment rate in 1955 and its political implications. The conversation shifts to the evolution of work through significant eras, such as Victorian trade unionism and the Thatcher revolution. Saunders delves into gender dynamics post-World War I and how unemployment has shaped voter perceptions and party policies over the decades, including the Labour Party's identity today.
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Unemployment Is A Modern Concept
- Robert Saunders notes the word 'unemployment' only appears in the 1880s.
- This reframes joblessness as a measurable, collective economic problem.
Three Victorian Fixes To Joblessness
- Robert Saunders summarises three Victorian responses: emigration, moral discipline, and mutual aid.
- None of these treated large-scale job creation as a proper state responsibility.
Trade Unions Made Unemployment Measurable
- Robert Saunders explains trade unions began collecting unemployment data in the late 19th century.
- Their records helped show unemployment was structural rather than simply personal failure.
