Category: Unemployment

Unemployment in the US

In the recent times, the issue of unemployment has taken a new dimension in the United States. This follows from the premise that the number of unemployed persons continue to rise. Since the 2007-2008 economic crisis, the state of the US economy has been undesirable.

From that time, the US economy has failed to register meaningful growth or development. Although there were prospects that the economy would improve after the financial meltdown, the state has worsened. As Foroohar (2011) reckons, the Obama regime was on the verge of registering growth before discouraging data began emerging.

Firstly, the increase in GDP was below the expected levels, as future forecasts did not show signs of improvement. Further, the housing industry revealed that prices were declining to levels that have never been experienced. In addition, levels of consumer spending were declining.

When consumer spending falls, the manufacturing sector is negatively affected. Overall, unemployment rates are also likely to rise, as job creation continues to fall below the expected levels.

Policy details

After reflecting on the economic problems facing the United States, it is important to tackle the issue of unemployment in a bid to reign on its likely consequences. This is necessary since unemployment is becoming rampant among the youth in the United States. Towards addressing the concern, a policy option is proposed.

The policy seeks to empower the youth before they graduate from colleges and schools. In this regard, the policy proposes the introduction of the subject of entrepreneurship in all disciplines of study. This should pave way for teaching the youth ways of creating jobs instead of looking for jobs after graduating.

In order to make the policy successful, the State governments are required to set aside funding kitties. Such kitties will be required to advance soft loans to fresh graduates.

The funding kitties are also expected to hire investment consultants who are charged with the responsibility of extending advisory services to the fresh graduates. The graduates will be advised to form small enterprises instead of seeking the mainstream employment opportunities.

Applying the rational choice model

The rational choice model of decision making presents a major framework that aids in the understanding of the decision making process (Dye, 2010). In its simplest form, the rationality model hinges on the notion that a rational being would prefer the option that yields the most preferable returns (Allingham, 2002).

Bicchieri, (2003) observes that since the rational choice model promotes the gathering of all the necessary information, the policymakers are under an obligation to solicit for all relevant ideas. Such pursuit of information holds an important place in policy-making as it guarantees that the policy being made is valuable in addressing the needs of the people.

As illustrated in the paper, the problems facing the United States are diverse. In addition, the possible solutions to the problems are equally diverse.

As such, it is necessary to collect information on the problem, list all possible solutions, weigh the various approaches and make a decision based on the assessment of these attributes. In this regard, policy makers are empowered to take measures that are most effective at the lowest possible price.

Apart from the alarming rate of overall unemployment in the United States, the youth unemployment trends are worrying. It is observed by Foroohar, (2011) that a group of workers faces a danger of permanent relegation from the job market.

The worst aspect lies on the probable consequences of these unemployment statistics on the American community. Youth unemployment rests at twenty-four percent. Worse still, this group is not likely to secure jobs in the near future.

Even if it did, it would earn twenty percent less than the amount the preceding groups earned. Applying the model in this case, policy makers are able to assess the consequences of the issue and take appropriate action.

The model proposed would prove useful in both the decision-making and in the implementation process. In the decision-making process, the policy would be useful in deciding the options to take given a list of alternatives.

Similarly, in the implementation process, the policy implementers would be able to decide which implementation approaches to use given a pool to select from. As such, the policy model is significant both to the decision-making and the implementation processes.

Evaluation

Based on the rational choice model, people engage in activities after comparing competing alternatives. If there are competing alternatives, then the need for perfect information is mandatory. This is important as it allows the decision-makers ample time to make informed decisions.

However, in practice, it is often impossible to access all the necessary information regarding any case. Further, it is almost impossible to have complete understanding of an issue. This view is held in reference to the idea that human knowledge is often limited.

Consequently, the rational choice model is premised on a number of assumptions which are not easy to meet. The theory also holds that the decision makers are able to compare the costs and the benefits associated with the decisions taken.

Reference List

Allingham, M. (2002). Choice Theory: A Very Short Introduction. London: Oxford.

Bicchieri, C. (2003). “Rationality and Game Theory”, in The Handbook of Rationality. London: Oxford University Press.

Dye, T.R. (2010). Understanding public policy (13th ed.). Longman: Pearsonn Prentice Hall.

Foroohar, R. (2011, June 08). What U.S. Economic Recovery? Five Destructive Myths. Time Inc. Web.

Introduction

The topic chosen for this study is the influence of COVID-19 on the rate of unemployment in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Due to coronavirus and extended lockdowns, many workers in labor importing countries lost their jobs, which resulted in an increase in the unemployment rate. Nevertheless, these rates are much lower in the Gulf countries, most likely because their populations are smaller and remain engaged in those activities that are not affected by the COVID-19 thanks to governmental support. What is more, private businesses were told to keep local employees and fire foreigners, which allows unemployment rates to remain low as citizens have their jobs and expatriates leave Gulf countries (Barbuscia and Rashad 2020). Oil price reductions also may make the expatriates take the hit.

Despite the severe increases in the UAE’s and Bahrain’s unemployment rates, Egypt is one of those countries that managed to benefit from the coronavirus situation and improve their political and economic states. There are several probable explanations, including support of the government and rapid economic and social recovery. However, researchers also suggest that the unemployed of the informal sector are omitted from the official data (Egyptian Center for Economic Studies 2020, 9).

In order to gather necessary and relevant information, a number of trustworthy governmental sources were used. We typed the keywords and checked the appropriate websites whether they had the data we needed. To create the infographic, several sources, namely, Egypt Today Staff: “Decline in 2020 Unemployment Rate Shows Egypt’s Economic Progress Amid COVID-19 Crisis: Cabinet” (2020) and Focus Economics: “Unemployment in Bahrain” (2018a), “Unemployment in Egypt” (2018b), and “Unemployment in United Arab Emirates” (2018c) were found helpful. What is more, Plecher (2020), WAM (2020), and The World Bank (2020) also provided us with essential information. The target audience was the students at the American University in Cairo. The infographic was posted on January 18, 2021, in the university groups on Facebook and WhatsApp.

Received VS. Expected Feedback

We managed to receive responses from three students, and their comments are rather different. The first respondent noticed that the infographic was clear, and they could get the information right away. Though this feedback is more related to the infographic than the topic itself, we are grateful to receive it as we were concerned whether our presentation is actually easy to follow. The third student also did not mention the topic in their response.

Instead, they noted liking the fact that the infographic did not have too many words but rather charts that illustrated the idea. Indeed, the figures and diagrams provided in the infographic allow students to make sure that unemployment rates are reducing or increasing. Finally, the feedback from the second student concerned the topic itself. They admitted not expecting that Egypt had a decrease in the unemployment rate during COVID-19.

Though we are grateful for receiving these responses, they are not entirely consistent with our expectations. To be honest, we hoped that more students would comment on the unemployment. We also expected some of them to probably indicate the possible implications of the coronavirus for the politics of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as suggest solutions and efforts. Since some of them were discussed in our class materials, we supposed that the students might want to mention them in their responses.

Policy Implications and Possible Solutions

A fall in economic activities and severe quarantine measures cause a decline in labor supply, and many people in the UAE and Bahrain, as well as a vast number of other countries, are left without work and needed money. Lower consumption of services and goods is likely to result from the loss of labor income, which will negatively affect the sustainability of economies and businesses continuity. It is rather positive news that in Egypt, there is a decrease in the unemployment rate by 10.1% despite COVID-19 (Egypt Today Staff 2020). Therefore, to solve the increase in unemployment in the UAE and Bahrain, it is necessary to suggest possible solutions in addition to those that have been tested and proven to be effective in Egypt.

The country’s success in reducing unemployment during such a difficult time may be attributed to several reasons. To begin with, the government decided not to stop the implementation of approximately 9,000 service and developmental projects in all sectors, which was rather beneficial. Receiving tourist groups and reopening resorts and airports in Luly helped to reduce unemployment. Finally, the government itself was not in favor of suspending work in Egypt because of the pandemic, making it easier for the citizens to stay above the poverty line. In addition to these strategies, several others may be suggested to Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain.

To begin with, all workers, as well as their family members, should be effectively protected from the COVID-19 health risks. Large-scale public investment and support are required to introduce protective measures at the workplace. Next, it is extremely important to coordinate policy efforts to stimulate the labor demand and economy and provide income and employment support. In this case, workers, employers, and enterprises may be protected from immediate income and employment losses. Third, to ensure the relevance of policy responses, it is essential to monitor both indirect and direct impacts of the interventions. Finally, for other countries, it is recommended to take an example from Egypt and adopt its successful practices, namely, health recuperation and economic and social recovery.

References

Barbuscia, Davide, and Marwa Rashad. 2020. “’What’s the Point of Staying?’: Gulf Faces Expatriate Exodus.” Reuters. Web.

Egypt Today Staff. 2020. “Decline in 2020 Unemployment Rate Shows Egypt’s Economic Progress Amid COVID-19 Crisis: Cabinet.” Egypt Today. Web.

Egyptian Center for Economic Studies. 2020. “Follow-up on Covid-19 Consequences on Egyptian Economy: Egyptian Labor Market.” ECES 23: 1-13.

Focus Economics. 2018a. “Unemployment in Bahrain.” Web.

Focus Economics. 2018b. “Unemployment in Egypt.” Web.

Focus Economics. 2018c. “Unemployment in United Arab Emirates.” Web.

Plecher, H. 2020. “Bahrain: Unemployment Rate from 1999 to 2020.” Statista. Web.

WAM. 2020. “UAE Unemployment Rate Among Lowest in the World.” Khaleej Times. Web.

The World Bank. 2020. “Bahrain’s Economic Update — October 2020.” Web.

Introduction

Many US military officials have been bestowed great honors because of their devotion to serving the country. To enhance their work, they have been exposed to thorough training as service members who are ever actively involved in their line of duty. Hence, they stand a good position to serve in any nation employer and any capacity as military officials. In essence, with such uniquely skilled, creative, and focused individuals, it is saddening to realize how this category of people suffers a great deal after retiring. One would expect the US government to offer them jobs. However, a huge number of US veterans are unemployed compared to other individuals in America.

This paper seeks to answer the question, ‘which theory of framework can be used to explain the stated disparity? The paper shows how the US government can address this situation to benefit men and women who return from war and any other conflict-prone areas around the world.

Unemployment for Retired War Experts

Ferbaman and Foster’s (2013) article inspects why retired US war experts have witnessed elevated joblessness rates relative to other categories of people in the US employment industry. Ferbaman and Foster (2013) present factors such as age and education as among the factors that have fuelled veterans’ unemployment levels. Such levels have been associated with their poor educational background and lack of understanding among employers who are expected to hire the military veterans. Such a misunderstanding is also evident among the hiring managers and human resource personnel. Because they only focus on the most appropriate, effective, and efficient people, they fail to factor in the aspect of experience that the service men and women have had in their line of duty (Obama, 2014).

After a long period of war, a big number of veterans who have served multiple combat deployments are definitely found undergoing transition into civilian life over some years. No one expects this observation to be the situation for these people. Employment is a very important means, which can mitigate the probable uncertainties and struggles that veterans go through during this transition. Gainful and meaningful employment does not only serve to offer stability in the economy throughout the period of transition but also indeed serves the great purpose of creating a social support structure, which is important in the event of discontinuous life change that is usually witnessed in the military service. Denying them a chance in the employment sector is not only a blow to them but also to the community.

The issue of disability has been cited as another reason why veterans end up being jobless after their service. Their high-risk job in wars such as the Gulf War II and the 9/11 catastrophe left many of them disabled and detached from their communities and even their employers. However, the US military is exposed to a very tough environment where the armed forces have to sacrifice even their lives to protect their country (Obama, 2014).

However, after retiring from their job with disabilities, the most significant issue that faces the transitioning service individuals to reintegrate effectively with the civilian society has been the need to find and cultivate organizational attachments that can instill in them a sense of belonging that they had been conferred in the past through their attachment to the military field. In this case, employment represents an opportunity to create and cultivate new organizational connections and positions to facilitate an effective socialization in the non-military culture. Nevertheless, the time for the veterans to leave their jobs is usually announced when none of them is ready for the retirement. Hence, they end up being psychologically interrupted. Upon noting the traumatic experiences that they undergo in their work, adding them psychological pressure makes majority of them insane such that they cannot find a place in the job market after their retirement.

Research by Ferbaman and Foster (2013) highlights the existence of poor mechanisms for welcoming retired veterans to the civilian life. No programs have been established to help retired military service men and women the inability secure employment. The situation has strongly been linked to their dysfunctional and poor health. Instead of letting them work for themselves, many of them who experience a declining health are required to join the social security benefits systems where the US government can assist them in their recovery process.

Their status takes away any leadership ability that can be considered in the recruitment process. The rate of encountering unemployment situations among veterans is higher in comparison with what is witnessed with their non-veteran peers. This disparity significantly is common within retired female Hispanic war experts and among young veterans. A careful review of the existing academic research suggests skill transfer as among the key reasons behind the situation (Hays, 2014).

The application of vocational skills and abilities that veterans demonstrate in the military field in the civilian work context has not been fruitful to both the veteran and the employer (Hays, 2014). Additionally, the transferability of the skills that are learnt in the military field is almost impossible with reference to what employers in the civilian labor market seek from a recruit. Moreover, the evident knowledge gap between the civilian employment and military service people who in their lifetime have never participated in the civilian labor market represents a noticeable barrier to employment (Hays, 2014). Besides, a gap in the employers’ understanding of veterans as prospective employees is evident.

Stigma-related mental issues that are heavily associated with retired veterans play a central role in their unemployment situation. There is an increased rate of military officials who retire with complications such that they cannot meet healthcare requirements that many employers demand from recruits. These requirements include a mental health test for job seekers since employers need to be convinced that they are hiring an individual of sound mind and one who can demonstrate critical thinking skills to bring innovative ideas to the hiring organization. Others suffer from trauma, which inhibits the returning military from actively seeking employment.

They may not actively seek employment or even be ready for employment. Consequently, employers perceive them as though they are not ready to work. Hence, when a retired veteran is left without a job that he or she can use as a source of earning for his or her family, many conflicts arise. In fact, such conflicts end up breaking families. In this case, the child is the biggest loser and hence the reason why many of jobless veteran kids end up abusing drugs as a way of relieving themselves from family-related stress. What is it that the US government can do to avert this situation?

Ways to address the Situation

It is evident from the paper that the US government has neglected majority of the retired war veterans, despite their many years of devoted service to the country and other parts of the world. The paper has cited health, psychological issues, lack of proper transitioning programs, age, and education as among the factors that have pushed this category of people into unemployment. Based on these issues, potential employers have had to shun from recruiting these people.

An article by Obama (2014) provides a detailed plan on how President Obama’s administration is seeking to restore the situation. The US government needs to understand that the retired war veterans did not create these hindering factors (Obama, 2014). Hence, it is crucial for the administration to implement programs that will help retired veterans to cope with civilian demands and hence qualify for recruitment in the job market. While still serving in the military, the US government should not limit them from learning other skills since they participate in the armed forces for a limited time. The paper has shown how most of them lack skills that they can deploy to secure jobs after they retire. Hence, they should be left to learn other skills, which they might use in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that the US service men and women face tribulations after they retire from the military service. The paper has specified reasons that bar them from securing jobs, not only from the US labor market, but also from elsewhere around the globe. However, since they do not find themselves in such situations intentionally, the paper has urged the US government to devise appropriate mechanisms that will see these people absorbed in the job market soon after they retire.

Reference List

Ferbaman, J., & Foster, T. (2013). Unemployment among Recent Veterans during the Great Depression. Economic Perspectives, 37(1), 1-13. Web.

Hays, W. (2014). The OFCCP’s New Veterans’ Regulations Fail to Address What Veterans Really Need. Employee Relations Law Journal, 40(1), 31-55. Web.

Obama, B. (2014), How we will Truly Honor our Veterans. Vital Speeches of the Day, 80(10), 320-324. Web.

Introduction

Jesse, a physically impaired person, launched a complaint with the Secretary of the Civil Service that she has been dismissed from her duties because of her physical impairment. She claims that this is a form of workplace discrimination and that she was not given a reasonable allowance to accommodate her hearing impairment. However, she has been dismissed from her job not because of any malpractice associated with her hearing impairment but for her inability, general professional incompetence, and dishonesty.

Background

After a rigorous recruitment exercise for a clerical officer, The Social Welfare Department (SWD), an equal opportunity employer settled on Jessie. She is a hearing-impaired person and gave her a three-year probation contract for which she was to be confirmed permanently upon returning satisfactory results. However 1 ½ year into the contract, Jessie’s work was below expectations. There was public complain about her rude telephone etiquette, refusal to work overtime to complete her duties, erroneous filing of documents went for medical leave without permission, dishonesty and lastly, she was a slow learner and couldn’t work without guidance. Her supervisor interviewed her on several occasions and gave her general guidelines on how to improve, which she failed to heed. As such, she failed to convince the probation board that she was fit to pass the probation bar. CSR 186(2) stipulates that a probation officer may terminate the duties of a probationer for reasons of indiscipline, poor temperaments, and general professional incompetence. As such, Jessie was dismissed from her role, for the said in competencies, not because of her hearing impairment.

Recommendations

I hereby recommend that Jessie’s complaint to the Secretary for the Civil Service be dismissed, as it does not meet the technical threshold for the dismissal of persons with disability. In her complaint, Jessie argues that she has been discriminated against because of her impairment and that her supervisor did not give her a reasonable allowance to accommodate her disability. This is a misrepresentation of facts because Jessie had been given a reasonable allowance in the following ways. Only 20% of her professional roles involved the use of her hearing ability. Fulfilling the CSR 180(2) requirement, her supervisor was constantly monitoring her progress and gave verbal advice on ways to improve her performance, which she did not heed. Thirdly, the supervisor held several interviews with her to address her seven professional shortcomings, six of which were not associated with her hearing impairment but indiscipline, professional negligence, and lack of desire to conform to job specifications. Jessie’s case does not, therefore, fulfill the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487) Section 6 – (b) requirement on unfair treatments.

This case may repeat itself in the future if several steps are not taken. Where a person with a disability is to be put on probation, all attempts should be made to avoid allocating any responsibility that requires the use of their impaired ability. Performance criteria should only involve the measurement of performance on activities that do not involve the said impairment. Recruiters should also ensure that physically impaired people possess other desirable professional characteristics such as honesty, proper temperament, and personality.

The school board had a cause to fire this secretary because her behavior could harm the reputation of this educational organization (“High school secretary fired,” 2011, p. 12). Moreover, by tolerating such actions, school administrators could set wrong examples for the students.

• An employment contract is frustrated when one of the parties is not able to meet its obligations. For instance, one can speak about such circumstances as terminal illness, death, imprisonment, severe injury, and so forth.
• While determining reasonable notice, companies should focus on such aspects as the age of a worker, the length of employment, the health of an employee, and the availability of jobs in the community.
• The main benefit of working notice is that business administrators can use the services of an employee and derive extra value from his/her performance. Yet, some drawbacks should be considered.

In particular, a disgruntled employee, who has access to confidential information, can use these data to harm the company. Moreover, people can act in a retaliatory way while serving the working notice. If there is such a risk, businesses should not prefer this option.

• The worker’s duty to mitigate means that he/she should seek comparable employment in the industry. In other words, this individual should take steps to reduce the impact of wrongful dismissal on him/her.
• Such a notion of constructive employment means that an employee quits his/her job because working conditions have become intolerable. In this case, one can speak about such issues as the hostility of other employees, violation of employment contracts, or poor working conditions. In this case, an employee owes the duty to mitigate the damages. In other words, he/she should also seek employment.
• A wrongfully-dismissed employee can receive such termination damages as lost pay, compensation related to emotional distress, attorney’s fee, or the costs of searching for a new job. In other words, this person should be compensated for the losses that occurred as a result of wrongful dismissal.
• several strategies can be used to avoid wrongful dismissal claims. At first, businesses administrators should accurately document every incident related to an employee’s performance. This documentation can later be used to show that a person was not fired without a good cause. Secondly, it is necessary to develop clear rules which show what is expected from a worker.
• While providing references to an employee, the representatives of a company should disclose information about any wrongful or illegal act committed by a worker. Yet, at the same time, business administrators should remember the risks of a defamation lawsuit filed by a former employee. Additionally, they should not disclose confidential information to avoid legal conflicts.
• Employee insurance can be offered to a person if he/she can meet certain requirements. For instance, one can speak about the failure to find a job due to the factors that are not dependent on an employee. Secondly, it is necessary to mention such events as sickness, childbirth, or the need to support a close relative.

The article Wrongful Dismissal Made Easy written by Milena Celap (2011) includes instructions that help employers avoid problems related to the termination of workers. This author focuses on the timely documentation of violations committed by a worker (Celap, 2011, p. 11). Additionally, managers should clearly explain what kind of mistakes a worker could have made. In this way, business administrators can enable these people to meet the requirements of a company. Additionally, it is necessary to identify the behavioral rules and expectations that employees should meet.

Reference List

Celap, M. (2011). Wrongful Dismissal Made Easy. Web.

High school secretary fired for moonlighting in porn movie. (2011). Edmonton Journal, p. 12.

Introduction

The traditional way of improving the community health level is organizing health fairs and providing educational interventions for the people of concern. However, recent research shows that there are significant correlations between community self-reported health and the unemployment rate of a community (Bambra & Eikemo, 2018). Unemployment affects mental health, increases suicide, and other causes of mortality rates provoke long-term illnesses, and are associated with a higher prevalence of risky health behavior (Bambra & Eikemo, 2018). The present paper provides reasons for giving up traditional health interventions for joining and supporting the initiative to increase job openings to increase the community’s County Health Rankings.

Impact on Mental Health

The initiative to increase the number of job offerings instead of spending money on health fairs and educational programs can positively affect the mental well-being of the community. According to Strandh, Winefield, Nilsson, and Hammarström (2014), job loss is connected to with deteriorating mental health in all age groups. Moreover, the longer a person stays unemployed, the more adverse are the consequences of the matter.

The common impacts of staying with a job for an extended period are apathy, risky behavior, suicide, and depression (Bambra & Eikemo, 2018). The risk of suicide among unemployed men is almost two times higher if compared to the employed population (Strandh et al., 2014). While some of the consequences of the matter tend to develop throughout patients’ lives, most of the adverse effects do not linger after re-employment (Strandh et al., 2014). Therefore, the dedication of the hospital board towards increasing the number of job openings can let the community member avoid the long-term mental problems induced by unemployment.

Long-Term Illness and Unemployment

In addition to problems with mental health, unemployed people have an increased chance of acquiring chronic illnesses. According to Bambra and Eikemo (2018), the risk of reporting chronic illnesses is 1.5-2.5 times higher depending on the number of times a person was left without a job, and the unemployment period duration. Apart from emotional reasons for the matter, there also is an objective explanation of the emergence of long-term illnesses.

Financial hardships after a job loss usually lead to deprivation in infrastructure, educational and labor market opportunities, and availability of healthy foods (Brydsten, Gustafsson, Hammarström, & San Sebastian, 2017). Moreover, unemployment is commonly associated with losing health insurance that can negatively affect reported health. People experiencing money problems spend less on their well-being avoiding costly preventative procedures and treatment (Bambra & Eikemo, 2018). In short, providing people with high-security jobs in a hospital will decrease the number of people with chronic illnesses.

Unhealthy habits, such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and drug addiction, are also common consequences of unemployment. According to Bambra and Eikemo (2018), people left without jobs for three years are 2.11 times more likely to have problems with tobacco smoking, and 2.15 times more inclined to start drinking alcohol. These behavioral trends may lead to acquiring long-term illnesses. In brief, hospitals can help their patients’ avoid harmful habits by offering more jobs.

Conclusion

The traditional community health interventions remain an effective tool for improving the well-being status of the area. At the same time, a cost-effective dedication to providing an extended number of employment offerings on hospital grounds can be more beneficial for people’s mental health. Moreover, additional jobs will help the community to avoid unhealthy behavior and long-term illnesses. Therefore, it may be concluded that the biggest driver of poor health in an area is unemployment, and joining and supporting an initiative to increase job openings is more efficient than holding health fairs or ordering educational lecture series.

References

Bambra, C., & Eikemo, T. (2018). Insecurity, unemployment, and health: A social epidemiological perspective. In U. Kehe & E. van Hooft, The Oxford Handbook of Job Loss and Job Search (pp. 111-116). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Brydsten, A., Gustafsson, P., Hammarström, A., & San Sebastian, M. (2017). Does contextual unemployment matter for health status across the life course? A longitudinal multilevel study exploring the link between neighbourhood unemployment and functional somatic symptoms. Health & Place, 43, 113-120. Web.

Strandh, M., Winefield, A., Nilsson, K., & Hammarström, A. (2014). Unemployment and mental health scarring during the life course. The European Journal of Public Health, 24(3), 440-445. Web.

New Technologies as One of the Causes of Unemployment

The development of new technologies has been considered to be the way to the high level of life on the one hand and one of the main reasons for unemployment on the other hand. The relation between employment and technologies is vague and difficult to define. Nevertheless, it is quite a recognizable process when high technologies make the necessity in human resources lower and as the result cause the rise of unemployment.

Everything which was done with the help of human skills is produced with the help of machines nowadays ousting the necessity in human resources. The development of new technologies devalues human labor nowadays. For example, many seamers have lost their job because it is quite cheaper and more effective to use machines in the production of clothes. There are more and more occupations which become unnecessary with the development of high technologies. Computers have ousted many occupations making the functions of the human brain. The invention of robots in many developed countries will make everything instead of people shortly. What people should do? This problem concerns not only individuals whose job has become unnecessary or underestimated but also it concerns private firms and governments.

The method of Preventing Unemployment

The most effective method of preventing unemployment is the creation of new jobs. The jobs which have become the vestiges of the past should be substituted with other new ones. All these new jobs should be highly paid. This problem concerns also other jobs where people do not want to work because of low salaries. Of course, it is more convenient and profitable to use machines in production and save money and time for many companies. Nevertheless, there are a lot of jobs which are still in demand. It should be noted that most of them are connected with modern technologies. Computer engineers are the most demanded profession nowadays. The government should supply people with the necessary working places. If the country does not need people of a certain profession they should provide them special courses for re-education and guarantee them new working places. The same method may be effective in private companies. If the company does not need certain services, it should not be in a hurry to dismiss its workers and search for new ones which they need. The best way out is to re-educate workers and provide them with new working places. Human work should be evaluated and paid properly. Every company should estimate its workers and guarantee their good working atmosphere and confidence.

The development of high technologies has overturned the labor market. Although it may be considered one of the main reasons for unemployment, there have become new jobs as far as the use of machines and technologies always need human control. The main reason for unemployment is the discrepancy between supply and demand. Many companies need those specialists which are not so many in the labor market while people are specialized in those professions which are not in demand and as the result these people are unemployed. The best decision to this problem is re-education. The government and private companies should provide special courses for re-education for their workers on the one hand and people should take into account the demand of the labor market choosing their specialty on the other hand. Only in this case, the development of modern technologies will increase the well-being of people.

Key Take-Aways from the Report

The report by CBS details how seven and half million Americans are set to lose their weekly unemployment benefits as directed by the government. These people have no jobs and rely on these benefits to carry on with their lives (CBS News, 2021).

In addition to the weekly unemployment benefits, they also rely on eviction moratorium, stimulus cheques, and child tax credit to ensure they meet their needs. The withdrawal of the funding is anticipated to provoke these unemployed Americans quickly find work. The COVID-19 pandemic was instrumental in influencing people’s thinking on work as some are unwilling to take jobs that do not satisfy them anymore. Others are unwilling to take up jobs that predispose them to excess physical contact with many people because this endangers their health. The government has directed states to direct the American rescue plan fund to these benefits, but none are willing to adopt that approach as they insist on employment.

Impression of the Future

The report highlights the widespread situation in the general American republic and across the world. The pandemic led to job losses, and nations that provided unemployment benefits offered a lifeline to their citizens. Withdrawing these support systems without a meticulous plan for employment is misleading. The government should first ensure that the majority of the American citizens have jobs before withdrawing these benefits.

This is because withdrawing the benefits without an alternative for these people is set to interfere with their ability to meet their needs and cater to their families. The labor system in America also requires reevaluation to ensure that jobs available meet the skills and abilities of the American people. This entails ensuring that jobs have enhanced healthcare protocols that protect employees from the pandemic. There is a need to adjust the minimum wage and pay structure in various departments to ensure that the American people are paid their worth and the changes in the cost of living considered.

Reference

CBS News. (2021). Unemployment benefits expiring for millions of Americans [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Introduction

The media occupy a vital place in the life of both the individual and large social groups. A crucial political issue covered by the media is the topic of unemployment. Unemployment is a socio-economic problem of society and the state, which combines such negative aspects as reducing labor productivity, growth of social tension, and competition, leading to destabilization. The problem of employment is one of the leading problems in the activity of state authorities. Discussing this important topic will help generate a valuable exchange of experience, identify new ways of solving it, and increase international influence in this area. This work aims to give an objective assessment of such a problem as unemployment, study the methods of its presentation by the media, and outline the aspects that require a comprehensive reflection on the part of scientists. Twenty articles were selected in a representative way for further reading, and various scholarly articles were studied to research and test the arguments.

Literature

Unemployment is a serious and widespread phenomenon that affects society’s economic and social life and a country’s economy. The reflection of this topic in the media is discussed from different angles in many academic sources. According to Boomgaarden et al., newspaper coverage of unemployment unequivocally determines the perception of unemployment as a social problem (358). In this paper, the authors examine how media coverage affects the perception of unemployment. Distinguishing between different sources of information and other types of evaluations of problems, the authors find that the experience of unemployment contributed significantly to the perception of unemployment as a personal problem. Benesch et al. argue that the potential mechanisms of how media messages can affect concerns about immigration, the effect of media coverage persists even when other types of situations, such as those related to unemployment, are considered (55). The authors in the paper investigate immigration coverage, and to gain additional information, fears about unemployment are examined.

Expectations of unemployment can have a significant negative impact on aggregate consumption and wage growth. According to Garz, the news media is an apparent cause of unreasonable expectations about unemployment, as reports about the economy take place in a narrow negative way (157). In her paper, the author conducts a media content analysis to examine the potential relationship between negative coverage of economic news and pessimism in unemployment expectations. In most academic articles, unemployment is studied in the context of the financial crisis. The emphasis is placed on the fact that the media present this topic as one of the economy’s problems. For objective research, it is necessary to consider the media coverage of the situation with youth, COVID, and the media presentation of this topic as a problem and the precaution for the population.

Argument and Hypothesis

The importance of the issue of unemployment depends on the time, place, and situation of society. According to the above criteria, media coverage should reflect the actual position without being inappropriately negative or too positive. Such a way helps to look at the situation objectively and take appropriate measures to solve the problem. I assume that most media will cover the issue from a neutral point of view, and it also depends on the country the press belongs to.

The source sets the tone of the topic depending on the style of their platform, the end goal, and the expected reaction. In combination with the statements of Joe Biden, the issue of unemployment is quite common in American news. Thus, the media covers that the U.S. president has extended increased unemployment benefits until early September so that the unemployed can receive an additional $300 per week on top of their state benefits (Real unemployment, 2021). The type of coverage varies over time, in different parts of the country, on other platforms, and in different regions. According to the Italian media, unemployment is higher in Europe than in the United States; the Italian economy has collapsed by about 7% (Why are so many states, 2021). Depending on how the media present the topic, people develop a particular reaction to the issue.

Data and Variables

Content analysis on the topic of coverage of unemployment in the media allows you to analyze the mood and opinion of society, the tone of expression in the published media, and conclude the nature of the dynamics in addressing the problems associated with the topic. If properly applied, the method of content analysis will allow obtaining objective results. To this end, a representative sample was chosen, which is one of the critical concepts of data analysis. Representativeness determines the extent to which it is possible to generalize the results of a study involving a particular sample to the entire general population from which it was collected.

The information was searched for the keyword “unemployment.” Twenty news articles were then randomly selected; the procedure was carried out on the website. For the objectivity of the research, different countries were selected by the filter “Language & region of interest.” Seven articles from American sources, seven Italian authorities, and six articles from Russian sources were selected. The translator built into the browser was used to understand the information.

Results

Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that the news is covered differently depending on the country. American media emphasize the information about unemployment benefits (Is a $300 unemployment, 2021). The tone of the coverage is either neutral or negative. As for the Italian press, the news also discusses other countries, particularly the United States (US: unemployment rate, 2021). The tone of the coverage is primarily neutral. The U.S. benefits situation is covered negatively. Russian news positively covers the topic of unemployment: it mentions its decrease, but this happens only in the context of Russia (Unemployment is falling in Moscow, 2021). When other countries are mentioned, the nature of the article is either neutral or negative (Unemployment in the USA, 2021). The tone of coverage of the topic depending on the area is presented below. Thus, it can be concluded that the hypotheses put forward are consistent with the data obtained from the study.

Conclusion

Depending on how the media sets the tone of a topic, readers form certain attitudes and opinions. The study showed that the style of media coverage relies not only on the Internet resource itself but also on the country to which it belongs. It is necessary to study various sources to assess the tone of media coverage of a topic objectively. Three countries were considered in the study: Italy, the United States, and Russia. However, to obtain more accurate data and correct the nature of the presentation of the topic under investigation, it is necessary to study the news of all countries at different time intervals.

References

Benesch, Christine, et al. “Media coverage and immigration worries: Econometric evidence.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, vol. 160. 2019, pp. 52-67.

Boomgaarden, Hajo G., et al. “Covering the crisis: Media coverage of the economic crisis and citizens’ economic expectations.” Acta Politica, vol. 46, no. 4, 2011, pp. 353-379.

Garz, Marcel. “Unemployment expectations, excessive pessimism, and news coverage.” Journal of Economic Psychology, vol. 34, 2013, pp. 156-168.

“Is a $300 unemployment boost holding back jobs? Yes and no.”CNBC, 2021. Web.

“Real unemployment? In Europe almost 15%. In Italy, it is one in four.”L’Economia, 2021. Web.

“Unemployment is falling in Moscow.”RG.RU, 2021. Web.

“US unemployment rate rises to 6.1% in April, against expectations.” Kommersant, 2021. Web.

“US: unemployment rate surprisingly rises to 6.1% in April.”Rai News, 2021. Web.

“Why are so many states ending enhanced unemployment?”USA TODAY, 2021. Web.

High unemployment rate has been brought about by recession, rapid changes in technology which renders some employees jobless, undulating business cycles, and financial constraints in many organizations that complicates course of action in the coming years. This makes it difficult to predict or estimate the rate of unemployment in the years ahead.

The best measure of unemployment is taking a sample of households, and taking the number of unemployed in that particular household and also looking at the number of people who have registered in employment agencies. Unemployment ratio is measured by dividing the number of individuals by all those who are employed.

Labor markets are going down and this has resulted to a higher rate of unemployment as compared to employment rate. This has gone to a higher percentage. Organizations try to push the full employment but this does not generate more output, but instead puts more pressure on inflation. Besides, economists believe that 7% or 6% unemployment has been contributed by the recession.

Economists also predict that it would take 4 to 5 years for the job market to go back to normal. Labor force participation of older workers has risen, but as they age and retire, the labor force goes down.

Labor force from other age groups is decreasing because they prefer to further their studies and some opt to stay with their parents at home. On the other hand, unemployment affects the government output because of the reduction of work force.

There is also reduction in tax revenue since there is no deduction of tax revenue for the unemployed, and there is also a huge expenditure due to insurance claimants who have been rendered jobless.

Likewise, economists believe that economy needs to be adjusted in order to go back to normal rates of unemployment. Some think that it will be possible after five years while others think after seven years or even more.

They say that the normal will be worse than the old normal. There are different types of unemployment: the first one being frictional unemployment which occurs when one has lost a job and is looking for another one; seasonal unemployment; and structural unemployment which is caused by change of the industry production.

Some educated students tend to think that they must be employed in what they studied and they have the perception that education helps them to secure jobs rather than be able to do business in order to survive – they fail to understand that what matters is the income earned

Furthermore, economists believe that before recession, unemployment of 5%was caused by the rate in which people were searching for full time employment. The rate of unemployment cannot go back to zero because people are employed and at the same time others are fired, hence there are many skills than the job market demand.

Housing market makes the unemployed to live at one place for long, because one in four home owners are under pressure with their mortgage, and hence shifting is not easier and this minimizes the chances of job search to other areas. This made immigration fall to 12.5% in 2009.

In conclusion, unemployment rate is seen by the analysts as a sign of an economy which is going down but a decrease in the unemployment rate is an indication that the economy is becoming better. In order for the government to reduce unemployment, it should reduce taxes in order to increase the number of investors.

If the government fails to take measures to the rising rate of unemployment, then it has a long road to recovery. Governments need to come up with self employment projects so that the youth can be absorbed into these projects and earn a decent living without relying on being hired by organizations.

The agricultural sector has many opportunities which are yet to be exploited due to lack of funds. Most people are interested in venturing into business world if only they can be provided with incentives to help them get started.