The Economist/Ipsos-MORI issues index

THE prospect of unemployment has moved up the worry list for Brits, according to the most recent poll conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Economist. Almost two-fifths (38%) of people reckoned it to be one of the most pressing concerns facing the nation in February, up five percentage points on the previous month. Today the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, announced a £126m scheme to get 16- and 17-year-olds into employment or education by paying charities and businesses to take them on. If they succeed in keeping youngsters on track, they will receive bonus payments.

Unemployment overtook law and order to become the second most important issue facing Britain in the autumn, following the riots in August. It is of graver concern to those aged 18 to 44 (42%), those from lower social classes (47%) and those who vote Labour (51%) than it is to other groups, according to Ipsos MORI, which interviewed 945 adults across Britain. Unemployment is second to concern about the general economic malaise, which has topped the table for almost four years now, and which is becoming ever more worrisome, up by three percentage points to 64% in February.

In a month which saw high-profile racism on the football pitches, concerns about race relations were up by four percentage points to 24%. And the proposed reforms to the National Health Service also raised hackles, up five percentage points to 22%. Such increases come at the expense of other issues that are more vexing in times of plenty: just 2% of people said they were concerned about pollution and the environment, the lowest since July 2004.