How the disabled took all the jobs

There’s a folk tale in circulation at the moment which, like most folk tales, varies in detail from one storyteller to another but always maintains the same basic, memorable core.

It runs like this: over the last year (or decade, or Labour’s period in office, etc.) the UK saw record jobs growth of X hundred thousand (or X million etc.) but there are still millions of people on welfare because 91% (or four out of five, etc.) of the extra jobs went to foreigners.

Fraser-Nelswrong Among those retailing variants of this story are Frank Field, Iain Duncan Smith and Fraser Nelson of the Spectator, whose blog post running the changes on the basic narrative was the basis for some over-excited headlines yesterday.

Matt Cavanagh has already written a comprehensive response to Nelson’s piece which painstakingly shows why this is not a sensible way to look at labour market figures. But even he says that Nelson’s figure of 91% of working age employment growth over the last year being accounted for by non-UK nationals is ‘a striking statistic’. This is being a little too charitable.

To see why, consider how easy it is to take the basic structure of the folk tale, plug in some different data and use it to draw roughly opposite conclusions. We are being told migration is somehow associated with benefit receipt, so let’s look at the largest group of long-term benefit claimants, people with disabilities.

Rather than dividing the UK working age population into UK-nationals and non-UK nationals, as in Fraser Nelson’s piece, we have partitioned it into long-term disabled and non-disabled and asked what share of new jobs went to disabled people.

The answer is that between 1998/9 and 2009/10, 74% of net working age employment growth was accounted for by the disabled, and between 2009/10 and 2010/11, 219%.

Table 1:

So since the election the disabled have taken all the new jobs, and then some, forcing hundreds of thousands of non-disabled people into benefit dependency. At least that’s what it looks like if you choose to cut the data this way.

But as this exercise shows all to clearly, this is not a good way to cut data.

Numbers of working age disabled people are growing quite rapidly, mainly because of population ageing, and their economic activity and employment rates have risen substantially since 1998. Few people think disabled people are displacing non-disabled workers and pushing them into a life on benefits: there are just more disabled people in the labour market now than there used to be, and on average they are faring worse than non-disabled people, with unemployment at 11% compared to 7.6%.

Add to this that the time ranges we have used mean the economic downturn is distorting the picture and it’s easy to see how we have generated an utterly monstrous factoid out of perfectly innocent labour market data: there just hasn’t been that much employment growth since 2009/10, so it’s not hard for the disabled, or migrants for that matter, to overwhelm the growth figures.

So showing that some group or other is taking all the jobs isn’t difficult if you partition the population the right way and choose the right time frame. The question raised by this piece of pseudo- analysis is why we should take the assertion that non-UK nationals are taking 91% of employment growth any more seriously than the assertion that disabled people are taking 218%.

The latter figure is considerably more statistically robust than the former, but that doesn’t mean it’s telling us anything useful, or indeed anything at all. What these assertions have in common is that they aren’t even wrong, just silly.

However even this piece of silliness draws attention to the other flaw in the migration/benefits folk tale. We seem to have a lot more disabled people in employment, and this isn’t just because there are more disabled people. In fact, disability employment is one of the unsung positive developments in the UK labour market over the last 13 years.

Graph 1 below shows the trends, which are mirrored in falling rates of receipt for incapacity benefit, and growing numbers of Disability Living Allowance recipients who are not claiming out-of-work benefits, up by 71% since 2002. The group which has for a long time accounted for the largest share of long-term benefit receipt has seen its economic activity rate rise by 9 percentage points since 1998.

Graph 1:

The next biggest group, lone parents, saw very similar increases in employment. Don’t expect to hear these facts cited by those who want to promote the myth that employment growth did not benefit UK citizens under the last government.

http://twitter.com/demsoc/status/109290772439908352 Democratic Society

Disabled people took all the jobs (if you use the same dodgy maths as anti-immigration campaigners) http://t.co/yPchPtO
http://twitter.com/dundee_dee/status/109290873531023360 Dundee

How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/Acgaxxh by Declan Gaffney
http://twitter.com/politicalplanet/status/109291871163002881 Political Planet

How the disabled took all the jobs: Declan Gaffney takes apart the latest right wing anti-disabled anti-immigran… http://t.co/wSXk2W1
http://twitter.com/c_a_jonestechno/status/109292633700044800 CAROLE JONES

How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/m2OlsTz by Declan Gaffney
Another myth..
http://twitter.com/danielelton/status/109296101043081216 Daniel Elton

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/EdquBNj – epic post from Declan Gaffney @neilcoyle @marcusaroberts
http://twitter.com/brokenofbritain/status/109296639092588546 Broken OfBritain

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/govmanslaughter/status/109296689373908992 Gov Manslaughter

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/lgbtcymru/status/109296708080513024 LGBT Cymru Helpline

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/living_as_if/status/109296977962999809 Lisa Chalkley

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/creativecrip/status/109298396736659456 TheCreativeCrip

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/barbsisi/status/109298468262117376 Barbara Hulme

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/danielsitkin/status/109299034765803521 Daniel Sitkin

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/6J2yvOF
http://twitter.com/wassboy/status/109299175807660032 Wassboy

How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/5qdPazN via@leftfootfwd #in
http://twitter.com/brokenofbritain/status/109299242123800576 Broken OfBritain

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/batsgirl/status/109299912566505472 Mary

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/duncanstott/status/109300079692759041 Duncan Stott

Disabled people took all the jobs (if you use the same dodgy maths as anti-immigration campaigners) http://t.co/yPchPtO
http://twitter.com/duncanstott/status/109300428566577152 Duncan Stott

Has there been a better piece on @leftfootfwd than this? http://t.co/ouw2A75 The prefect slamdown of the latest anti-immigration nonsense.
http://twitter.com/sbudden72/status/109301998561660928 Stephen Budden

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/FknjD4A #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/catherinbrunton/status/109302279328378881 Catherine Brunton

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/fizzyclare/status/109302699471806464 Clare Jordan

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/suey2y/status/109303139865346048 Sue Marsh

http://t.co/vXsakMx <<I LOVE this. Great article for #septembercomeback Pls Rt
http://twitter.com/fizzyclare/status/109304343051776002 Clare Jordan

http://t.co/vXsakMx <<I LOVE this. Great article for #septembercomeback Pls Rt
http://twitter.com/azuriteenigma/status/109304734925594625 Azurite

http://t.co/vXsakMx <<I LOVE this. Great article for #septembercomeback Pls Rt
http://twitter.com/suey2y/status/109307139834658816 Sue Marsh

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/mariquon/status/109307278582226944 Mariquon

Reading: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/b1Z3yNt
http://twitter.com/psychoticlynx/status/109307839629103104 Kim Blake

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/catherinbrunton/status/109308446364540928 Catherine Brunton

http://t.co/vXsakMx <<I LOVE this. Great article for #septembercomeback Pls Rt
http://twitter.com/ligomersall/status/109309028085149697 liane gomersall

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/fb1Y0PK #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/southygirl1/status/109310560268599297 theresa jackson

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/1MBtxrO
http://twitter.com/suey2y/status/109311472215142400 Sue Marsh

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/NXhBv8d <<Great piece #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/7ofviii/status/109312677842665472 AMB

Has there been a better piece on @leftfootfwd than this? http://t.co/ouw2A75 The prefect slamdown of the latest anti-immigration nonsense.
http://twitter.com/labour52rose/status/109313227594276864 Alex Braithwaite

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://www.jonathanbishop.info Cllr Jonathan Bishop MScEcon FRSA

If you look at the concept of ‘Product Possibility Frontier’ (PPF) in economics. Everyone who is capable for work contributes to this, which is the potential an economy can produce based on the number of people within it. As soon as a child reaches working age it increases. As soon as an immigrant comes into the country it also increases. So I would argue to all the anti-immigration bigots who are also bigoted towards disabled people: For every disabled person signed off from work our PPF goes down by one on each occasion. Therefore in order to keep our PPF in this instance we need to bring in about two immigrants – one to pay the disabled person’s benefits and another to do the job they are not being allowed to do.
http://twitter.com/suey2y/status/109314162844368896 Sue Marsh

@anthonypainter @frasernels Did you see : http://t.co/vXsakMx on same subject?
http://twitter.com/anthonypainter/status/109315434989355008 Anthony Painter

“@suey2y: @anthonypainter @frasernels Did you see : http://t.co/H0eywji on same subject?” < the disabled are pinching all our jobs…
http://twitter.com/peterward2008/status/109316219647164416 Peterward

“@suey2y: @anthonypainter @frasernels Did you see : http://t.co/H0eywji on same subject?” < the disabled are pinching all our jobs…
http://splithorizons.blogspot.com/ Duncan Stott

This needs linking to every time that myth gets peddled.

Thank you.
Grayling

that was the deliberate idea with the original DWP ” capability ” ” assessments ” all these absurd ATOS Origin tests in performing tricks like picking up pound coins were for ” crips ” to take McJobs in the likes of Primark and Poundland …….not good jobs as there would be too much resentment ….however we had the credit crunch and the crash and there’s queues round the block for something like stacking shelves at Tesco Metro
http://twitter.com/a__rhodes/status/109317358765608960 Andrew Rhodes

How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/Acgaxxh by Declan Gaffney
http://twitter.com/idlevic/status/109317643957321729 Victoria

How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/Acgaxxh by Declan Gaffney
http://twitter.com/googlyfish_uk/status/109317744176017411 Googlyfish UK

UK Job Post How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/851nq5S
http://twitter.com/wtbdavidg/status/109318997048180736 David Gillon

'How the disabled took all the jobs' http://t.co/hijYCZX – really about misusing immigration figures, but watch out, might be misquoted!
http://twitter.com/richardexell/status/109319984529948672 Richard Exell

How disabled people took all the jobs http://t.co/uK4rBLz – brilliant analysis by Declan Gaffney
http://twitter.com/marcusaroberts/status/109327809222148097 Marcus A. Roberts

“@danielelton: RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/D931b9P – epic post from Declan Gaffney <great piece
http://twitter.com/chris_goulden/status/109328744770043904 Chris Goulden

RT @RichardExell How disabled people took all the jobs http://t.co/9FcaTt6 – brilliant analysis by Declan Gaffney
http://twitter.com/mistynow/status/109337927678558208 Mistynow

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/NXhBv8d <<Great piece #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/mistynow/status/109338255270490112 Mistynow

http://t.co/vXsakMx <<I LOVE this. Great article for #septembercomeback Pls Rt
http://twitter.com/gonz_blinko/status/109338693407490048 Gonz Blinko

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/mistynow/status/109338765755031552 Mistynow

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/leicesterrtw/status/109360502387380224 Leics Right To Work

How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/Acgaxxh by Declan Gaffney
http://twitter.com/june4th/status/109379700589199360 Noxi

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/ZM0xWPm by Declan Gaffney
Mr. Sensible

Well the media make a habbit of this, don’t they.
http://twitter.com/wtbdavidg/status/109390682816380928 David Gillon

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/wtbdavidg/status/109397903512043520 David Gillon

http://t.co/vXsakMx <<I LOVE this. Great article for #septembercomeback Pls Rt
http://twitter.com/carbonised/status/109399120199958529 Rebecca Devitt

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/darkestangel31/status/109402341832278016 DarkestAngel

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/ANH83vo #septembercomeback
http://twitter.com/googlyfish_uk/status/109497441618894848 Googlyfish UK

http://t.co/Pl0IFde How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/oy26BdU
http://twitter.com/comcarefamilies/status/109529248531881984 Molly Garboden

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/nJr5myW
http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/109539932485332992 Will Straw

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/109539932485332992 Will Straw

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/bendygirl/status/109540134067765249 BendyGirl

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/bendygirl/status/109540134067765249 BendyGirl

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/notjarvis/status/109541435291877376 notjarvis

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/ascorbic/status/109541558117871616 ✹ Matt Kane

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/grzeg/status/109541758878236672 Greg M

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/cforwr/status/109542645268877312 Welfare Reform

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/simonjduffy/status/109543033426554881 Simon Duffy

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/geographyjim/status/109543109913882625 Jim Gleeson

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/frpip/status/109543576249176064 Philip Blackledge

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/iainl7/status/109544851862859776 Iain Lambert

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/markfergusonuk/status/109545435533811712 Mark Ferguson

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/maznbaz23/status/109545583311720450 Marilyn Freeman

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/chrisplol/status/109549342037254144 Chris Paul

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/matt_cav_/status/109560902898024448 Matt Cavanagh

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/rickmuir1/status/109564984220069888 Rick Muir

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/interarma/status/109565466971881472 Kate!

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/oscard8/status/109566752916115456 Oscar Davies

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/domweinberg/status/109573000755560448 Dom Weinberg

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/allyfogg/status/109576091710132224 Ally Fogg

Magnificent RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/lYSfScc
http://twitter.com/jonzo1/status/109579895067254785 Jonathan Abourbih

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/jamesallense15/status/109580509310496769 James Allen

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/wtbdavidg/status/109581506485297152 David Gillon

Using @frasernels and @Spectator_CH methodology, @leftfootfwd finds 219% of new jobs went to disabled people: http://t.co/RA5USBB
http://twitter.com/arjay61/status/109581759976439808 Robert Beard

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://twitter.com/blue_yeti/status/109616372975284224 Charlie Christie

Disabled people took all the jobs (if you use the same dodgy maths as anti-immigration campaigners) http://t.co/yPchPtO
http://twitter.com/lespn/status/109634419807109122 LESPN

How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/2j730hz
http://twitter.com/juliaslay/status/109653981864792064 Julia Slay

If 'foreigners have taken 90% of new jobs', turns out by same methodology the disabled have taken over200%. @leftfootfwd http://t.co/2u7j7lg
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/09/look-left-02-09-11/ Look Left – Libya: Allies urge “reconciliation and forgiveness” | Left Foot Forward

[...] Gaffney’s blindingly brilliant analysis for Left Foot Forward taking apart the statistical sleights of hand the mad Right use to peddle [...]
http://twitter.com/itscreativecafe/status/109851527937667072 Jill Goble

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/hYDMt7S Lies,damn lies & statistics in rascist & disablist media #disability
http://twitter.com/blue_yeti/status/109936532714045440 Charlie Christie

How the disabled took all the jobs | Left Foot Forward #septembercomeback http://t.co/3OS4UvS
http://twitter.com/jamesrbuk/status/110044292948557824 James Ball

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/clancyhood/status/110044547312132097 Clancy Hood

“@jamesrbuk: Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/ga6lHdR” by @djmgaffneyw4
http://twitter.com/allisonkilkenny/status/110044560637435904 allisonkilkenny

RT @jamesrbuk: Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/Tfy6VaD
http://twitter.com/siouxfire/status/110044597396324352 Michael Curry

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/fwalloe/status/110046352527994880 Fredrik Walløe

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/peterward2008/status/110047213182394368 Peterward

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/reeshyy/status/110047286876319744 Reeshy

RT @jamesrbuk: Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/Tfy6VaD
http://twitter.com/redgehomes/status/110047309215170560 reggie lee

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/superchowchow/status/110048396005482496 Rupert

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/mattpotter/status/110052005728358400 MattPotter

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/foolenglish/status/110068250762690560 Bill Friar

RT @jamesrbuk: Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/ZFFGa9m
http://twitter.com/iamwithnail/status/110074623181340672 Chris Campbell

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/vale_love_peace/status/110077025670275072 Valentina Aragundy

RT @allisonkilkenny: RT @jamesrbuk: Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/7kAc5Qi
http://twitter.com/deepster24/status/110113003113947136 Deep

Neat debunking of the "Foreigners took 90% of all new British jobs" fallacy here: http://t.co/xeX5G5Q
http://twitter.com/bigtatty/status/110143242389032960 Wookie

RT @leftfootfwd: How the disabled took all the jobs http://t.co/FyJwVF8 ~ some correction techniques to the Fraser Nelson theory of life
http://twitter.com/londoniww/status/110261169117331456 London IWW

How the disabled took all the #Jobs ( #unemployment ) http://t.co/9FloG6F | #PublicServices #Anticuts
http://twitter.com/djmgaffneyw4/status/111056059967340544 Declan Gaffney

A serious point about disability & jobs wrapped up in a not-so-serious point about Fraser Nelson's analytical skills http://t.co/Xp9H4Sl
http://twitter.com/carbonised/status/111059313094696961 Rebecca Devitt

A serious point about disability & jobs wrapped up in a not-so-serious point about Fraser Nelson's analytical skills http://t.co/Xp9H4Sl
http://twitter.com/bendygirl/status/111064973400223745 BendyGirl

A serious point about disability & jobs wrapped up in a not-so-serious point about Fraser Nelson's analytical skills http://t.co/Xp9H4Sl
http://twitter.com/clancyhood/status/111163470929600512 Clancy Hood

@bengoldacre Have you seen this rather neat debunk of the "X% of jobs go to foreigners" malarchy? http://t.co/ga6lHdR
http://twitter.com/timtfj/status/111248405875011584 Tim J

The dodgy method that "shows" 91% of new jobs went to immigrants also shows that 219% of them went to disabled people: http://t.co/i4sSAho
http://twitter.com/johnedginton/status/111260294428364800 John Edginton

The dodgy method that "shows" 91% of new jobs went to immigrants also shows that 219% of them went to disabled people: http://t.co/i4sSAho
http://twitter.com/bigtatty/status/111282714929414144 Wookie

The dodgy method that "shows" 91% of new jobs went to immigrants also shows that 219% of them went to disabled people: http://t.co/i4sSAho
http://twitter.com/revstu/status/111358121653452800 Rev. Stuart Campbell

Damn cripples, coming over here in their wheelchairs, taking our jobs: http://t.co/txEwG4K
http://twitter.com/ebonydawnmarsh/status/111362032091136001 Ebony Dawn Marsh

Damn cripples, coming over here in their wheelchairs, taking our jobs: http://t.co/txEwG4K
http://twitter.com/romanista/status/111392634609737728 Rick Lindeman

Damn cripples, coming over here in their wheelchairs, taking our jobs: http://t.co/txEwG4K
http://twitter.com/quistisgroupie/status/111403248459591680 Ian B

Damn cripples, coming over here in their wheelchairs, taking our jobs: http://t.co/txEwG4K
http://twitter.com/dr_griffiths/status/111703153946279936 Laurie Griffiths

Damn cripples, coming over here in their wheelchairs, taking our jobs: http://t.co/txEwG4K
http://wosland.podgamer.com/?p=11333 Wings over Sealand | News From The World

[...] How the disabled took all the jobs (a fascinating reflection on how easily you can manipulate statis… [...]
Tom K.

I look forward to the disabled bus drivers and plumbers that these statistics prophecy.
http://twitter.com/matt_cav_/status/121565948284121088 Matt Cavanagh

@hugorifkind @dlknowles Not a direct answer to your question, but well worth reading this if you haven't already: http://t.co/5VovCJwn
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/camerons-speech-churns-out-the-old-tory-myths/ Cameron’s speech churns out the old Tory myths | Left Foot Forward

[...] which, as Declan Gaffney has shown on Left Foot Forward, can be used to show, for example, that the disabled took all the jobs that those on benefits should have taken [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/theresa-may-is-wrong-we-can-have-a-liberal-immigration-policy/ May is wrong: We can have a liberal immigration policy | Left Foot Forward

[...] also: • How the disabled took all the jobs – Declan Gaffney, September 1st [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/leveson-inquiry-ethical-rot-of-fleet-street/ Leveson Inquiry hears of the ethical rot of Fleet Street | Left Foot Forward

[...] in the last couple of months, we’ve reported on the Spectator’s shockingly innumerate misuse of statistics to further their agenda, the Telegraph’s attempts to create a migration scare story out of nothing, and the [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/11/matt-cavanagh-ippr-is-britain-really-full-up/ So is Britain really “full up”? | Left Foot Forward

[...] This argument that “90% of new jobs go to foreigners” has been systematically debunked by various people, including me, Jonathan Portes, and neatest of all Declan Gaffney, who, on these pages, showed that by the same methodology, it turns out to have been the disabled who took all the jobs. [...]
http://twitter.com/djmgaffneyw4/status/135343128671551488 Declan Gaffney

@stilettowheels Not always, but sometimes…… http://t.co/Ep710AJH
http://twitter.com/davidtaylor85/status/141482823843450881 David Taylor

You may have seen our @wdjstraw on BBC just now show up @frasernels misuse of stats with this piece: http://t.co/6AYhEVPu
http://twitter.com/maznbaz23/status/141484859058176000 Marilyn Freeman

Another Tory myth exposed: How the disabled took all the jobs: http://t.co/Fpt84HPO
http://twitter.com/worutd/status/141485344670494725 Brian Tomkinson

You may have seen our @wdjstraw on BBC just now show up @frasernels misuse of stats with this piece: http://t.co/6AYhEVPu
http://twitter.com/sbr74/status/141487520721534977 Sean Brannan

You may have seen our @wdjstraw on BBC just now show up @frasernels misuse of stats with this piece: http://t.co/6AYhEVPu
http://twitter.com/duncanstott/status/157843105788342272 Duncan Stott

Here's why @frasernels is wrong (again) http://t.co/6CheK8qX
http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/167327131016241153 Will Straw

@mjhsinclair @sunny_hundal If you didnt like that LFF blog see this for how the @frasernels methodology is discredited: http://t.co/k9eBR4bu
http://twitter.com/djmgaffneyw4/status/199480086657904641 Declan Gaffney

Johnson: Why do foreigners get all the jobs? http://t.co/A8MywcTv They don't http://t.co/Ep710AJH
http://twitter.com/philiptaylor_/status/199483779339919360 Phil Taylor

Johnson: Why do foreigners get all the jobs? http://t.co/A8MywcTv They don't http://t.co/Ep710AJH
http://twitter.com/queerpup/status/199496864368820225 Queerpup

Johnson: Why do foreigners get all the jobs? http://t.co/A8MywcTv They don't http://t.co/Ep710AJH