The global economy is recovering - although the younger you are and the longer you've been out of work, the less likely it is that you'll have noticed.

A modest upturn in the major developed economies flagged last week by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development should be a considerable relief for Western countries still struggling to run down huge debts.

But with persistent recession across Europe and high levels of youth unemployment and long-term joblessness, signs that growth is picking up may offer little cheer.

"The rise of long-term unemployment, with more of the unemployed moving off unemployment insurance onto less generous social benefits, is worsening poverty and inequality," the OECD said on Thursday, adding the issue was especially bad in Europe.
「更多的失業人士失去失業救濟轉而依靠較少的社會津貼，因此長期失業率上升加劇了貧困和不公平現象，」OECD週四稱，並補充道此問題在歐洲尤為嚴重。

The consequent drain on demand could hinder recoveries before they reach what some economists call "escape velocity" and policymakers are starting to fret that the longer high joblessness persists, the harder solving the problem becomes.
這所造成的需求枯竭，可能在經濟復蘇達到部分經濟學家所謂的逃脫速度 (escape velocity)之前就遭遇阻力，而決策官員也開始擔憂，高失業情況持續得越久，要解決這個問題就更加困難。

More than 40 percent of U.S. unemployed have been out of work for more than six months, almost double the previous post-World War Two record.

Even news on Tuesday of falling registered jobless in employment blackspot Spain may reflect more darkness than light, with economists at Citi saying the decline in March resulted from a tightening of the criteria for accessing benefits.

There is particular anxiety among policymakers - and increasingly global investors - that leaving hordes of youths without work even after a turn in the economic cycle could threaten social and political stability in many economies.