Regular
reports on the growing Poverty, Unemployment, Debt and Inequality of
the neo-capitalist world
Global:
“The
number of children entering into poverty during the recession is 2.6
million higher than the number that have been able to escape from it
since 2008 (6.6 million, as against 4 million). Around 76.5 million
children live in poverty in the 41 most affluent countries.”
“The
United States and Australia have had the largest increases in the
NEET [young people not in education, employment or training] rate
across non-EU OECD countries.”
“Beyond
income and employment levels, the recession has affected a number of
other important dimensions of people’s lives. From 2007 to 2013,
feelings of insecurity and stress rose in 18 of the 41 countries,
according to measurable self-perception indicators (including access
to food and satisfaction with life). The recession’s impact on
personal experiences and perceptions is not yet over, and many
indicators have even worsened in the most recent years.”
“Those
countries most affected by the recession have seen a steady
deterioration in the situation of families, mostly from job losses,
underemployment and cuts to public services.”
“The
median income in households with children has decreased in almost
half of the countries with available data. The number of families
stating that their situation is ‘very difficult’ has risen in
most countries. Having a child or children in a household increases
the risk of ‘working poverty’ (working, but below the poverty
line) from 7 per cent to 11 per cent.”
“Inability
to cope with unexpected financial expenses has increased by almost 60
per cent, on average, in households with children in the 12 most
affected countries.”
“Children
by the millions were immediately and directly affected by the
recession (more than other vulnerable groups, such as the elderly),
and many will suffer the consequences for life. And the impact
certainly has not been spread evenly across all children in all
countries.”
“Those
worst affected are countries that were most exposed to the recession
and young age groups (15–19 and 20–24). Such impacts magnify the
disadvantages of persistent poverty and reduce educational and
professional achievement potential. Failure to respond boldly may
have long-term negative implications for societies.”
“It
may be years before many households get back to pre-recession levels
of well-being. High unemployment and fiscal restraint will remain the
norm for the foreseeable future in many countries.”
Europe:
“The
recession has hit young people extremely hard, with the NEET rate
rising dramatically in many countries. In the EU, 7.5 million young
people (almost the population of Switzerland) were NEET in 2013 –
nearly a million more than in 2008.”
“Since
2008, the percentage of households with children that are unable to
afford meat, chicken or fish every second day has more than doubled
in Estonia, Greece and Italy.”
“Some
1.6 million more children were living in severe material deprivation
in 2012 (11.1 million) than in 2008 (9.5 million) in 30 European
countries. The longer these children remain trapped in the cycle of
poverty, the harder it will be for them to escape.”
“...
years of potential progress have been lost in the recession. In
Greece, families with children lost the equivalent of 14 years of
income progress. Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain lost 10 years; Iceland
lost 9, and Italy, Hungary and Portugal lost 8. The situation is
probably worse for children in families at the lowest income levels.”
Spain:
“The
number of people living in poverty in Spain has risen by 4.4 million
since the country was battered by an economic crisis to reach 11.7
million, or one in four, a leading Catholic charity said Tuesday.”
“The
proportion of people living in social exclusion stood at 25.1 percent
in mid-2013, up from 16.3 percent in 2007, a year before a
decade-long housing bubble collapsed sending the economy into a
tailspin, Caritas said in a massive 700-page report.”
“Of
the 11.7 million people who live in social exclusion, 77.1 percent do
not have a job and 61.7 percent struggle to keep a roof over their
heads.”
“Some
half a million Spanish households have no source of income, according
to Caritas. The charity said the economic downturn has hit
immigrants, especially those from outside the European Union,
especially hard. More than half of all foreigners from outside the
European Union, 52.6 percent, lived in social exclusion in mid-2013
compared with 20.6 percent of all Spaniards.”
Sources:
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