Hello friends, in this article we will share some ideas about employment or unemployment. We are not being “the pessimists” here, but glass half empty or glass half full are really one and the same things. What matters is, is it going to be emptied? Or is it going to be filled?
In a few more years when we graduate or get a qualification, we also expect to find good jobs or (“if you think out of the box”) maybe even start your own new thing, as the ideas of emerging as the next Bill Gates are propagated so heavily. Some of you would have all your plans laid out (sure you have attended some personality and career seminar) and some of you may be still weighing your options. But are you aware of what lies ahead in the future?
If you are not among the top richest families, just have a look at your parents, and you will get an idea of what lies ahead. You will see your parents toiling hard to provide you with all possible comforts and pay for your education (which is so expensive), just hoping that you get a good job and support them when they need you. Just to give a small example, when you ask for funds to pursue a hobby of yours, you have to struggle, but when it’s “education related” they will not think twice.
Employment is something which affects us directly, and hence we feel that we should be aware of some facts regarding employment or unemployment. Let’s start by asking a question “What do you think are the reasons for unemployment in our country”? The quick answers that might pop-up are over-population, job reservations, automation and computerisation, etc. And a logical question follows. Is any of the above a real cause of unemployment??
Let’s look at the “so-called” over-population argument. Examine the following table (Figures are from 2004).
STATE MONTHLY PER CAPITA INCOME POPULATION DENSITY
Punjab Rupees 19,500 406 per square km
Orissa Rupees 6,767 203 per square km
This table busts the myth that densely populated areas are poor or unemployed, in fact more the number of people the more is the working strength!
People get angry when the issue of “reservation” comes up. But it is worthwhile to keep the anger aside for a moment and think with a cool head, “Do all the people in the reserved category get a job?” The answer is a bitter NO. A large number of people from the reserved category do not get jobs. There are just not enough jobs! Reservation creates a divide between people of reserved category and others. It is not a cause for unemployment for sure.
Automation and computerisation are often blamed for the job-cuts, but the truth is automation increases efficiency and productivity and saves a lot of time. This should have benefited people by making their working hours shorter. Instead of this, some people are thrown out due to increased productivity, while those who are retained are made to work for long hours and are expected to carry out the work of more than one person. But can’t people work for fewer hours and have a meaningful life? Use the spare hours for creativity and leisure? No wonder the deaths due to cardiac arrest, blood pressure, etc. are on the rise. The point is that automation helps to reduce the workload and is not a cause of unemployment.
What you just read might be shocking for you at the first instant, but we want you to think about it and try to verify the facts that we have stated above and satisfy yourself. We do not want you to believe anything blindly. We don’t want to impose our thoughts on you; we want you to think about and test what we are saying and correct us if we are wrong. We would like you to convince yourself. We will talk further about unemployment in the upcoming issues.
– Medhaj
