Crimes committed during high unemployment

Nature

While unemployment alone might not lead to criminal behaviour, it may well be the catalyst for those having least educational and economic opportunities and who are, as a result, least affected by social results.

Background

The link between high unemployment and increased crime rates gained international attention during the Great Depression, when many countries reported surges in theft, burglary, and social unrest. Subsequent economic crises, such as the 1980s recession and the 2008 global financial downturn, reinforced this association, prompting cross-national studies and policy debates. Today, the phenomenon is closely monitored by organizations like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Incidence

A 1993 UK academic study found that during the 1980s the number of burglaries tracked movement in young male unemployment almost exactly. From 1970, the government's official unemployment total and recorded crime both roughly quadrupled. Over the same period, there has been a broad trend for a 1% increase in the number of people out of work and claiming benefit to result in a 0.4% increase in burglaries. It was argued that the relationship between youth unemployment and crime only emerges when unemployment rises beyond a certain level, in the UK's case 1 million. Unemployment among young people is far higher than it was during the 1930s, when crime levels remained low.

Claim

By allowing mass unemployment to continue, and letting young men shoulder a disproportionate burden of this, we condemn ourselves to rising crime now and create criminals for the future.

Counter-claim

The notion that crimes committed during high unemployment are a significant problem is vastly overstated. Crime rates are influenced by a multitude of factors beyond joblessness, such as education, community support, and social policies. Focusing on unemployment as a primary cause distracts from addressing deeper societal issues. In reality, most unemployed individuals do not resort to crime, making this supposed link an exaggerated and unimportant concern compared to more pressing social challenges.