Spare a prayer

Earlier this month I had several phone calls - all on one day - from friends and colleagues who were told that their contracts were not being renewed. Much of my work these days is with agency workers especially in IT and I know how easily they can be "let go".

Well, for those friends, today is "D-Day" and when they close down their computer this afternoon they will leave to a very uncertain future. I'm sure this will be replicated in workpalces across the country, if not the world. I imagine that the last Friday in March will see a similar exit.

As I have said on a previous occasion:

I know from my contacts in the agency world that contractors - those who don't show up in statistics as staff - are being hit hard. Lot's of three or six month contracts have not been renewed. These people don't show up in the official figures as it is hard to claim unemployment benefit.

Nor do the new unemployed easily show up anywhere. This time there aren't the big factory closures hitting whole communities. It is a war of attrition as staff and contractors are laid off one by one, scuttle home to the suburbs and spend hours on Jobsite hoping to find a lifeboat.


Many of the new unemployed are white collar, have mortages on homes that were overpriced and now in negative equity, have built up credit cards debt and wouldn't be seen dead joining a trades union. They certainly won't regard themselves as "working class" and won't - at the moment - be joining demonstrations demanding work.


So if you are stuck for people to pray for, remember those who leave work this afternoon.