Job Crisis Undermines State Legitimacy

Table of Contents

What is meant by Quality Job?

A good quality job is characterised by dignity, adequate compensation, opportunities for learning, and pathways for advancement.

The Issue of Quality Employment

Lack of Quality Employment: Many available jobs are informal, unpaid, and dead-end, offering no dignity, opportunity for advancement, or financial security, especially for the youth.
Deceptive Unemployment Rate: The low unemployment rate does not reflect the reality of joblessness because individuals who work for only one month in a year are considered “employed.”
Technological Displacement: Technological advancements and capital concentration are leading to the displacement of large sections of the workforce, potentially permanently.
Widening Inequality: Economic growth and capital accumulation disproportionately benefit the elite, leaving the majority without financial security or social status. This threatens the social fabric and leads to political instability.
Inadequate Political Responses: Political leadership often focuses on short-term electoral gains rather than addressing long-term structural issues such as unemployment and inequality.
Flaws in Universal Basic Income (UBI): UBI is criticised for potentially deepening inequality by implying that a significant portion of the population is unnecessary to the economy.
- It provides financial support but fails to address the dignity and sense of purpose that come from meaningful work.
Risk to Democracy: Failing to address structural economic issues risks eroding democratic legitimacy, leading to the rise of populism and authoritarianism as alternatives to a failing political system.

Suggestions

Create Quality Jobs: The government should focus on creating jobs that provide dignity, financial security, and opportunities for learning and advancement, especially for the youth.
Address Structural Issues: Political parties must tackle long-term structural problems like unemployment and inequality, rather than focusing solely on electoral victories.
Rethink UBI: Instead of relying on Universal Basic Income as a solution, efforts should be directed towards meaningful reforms that allow people to contribute to society in a dignified way.
Promote Inclusive Economic Participation: Economic and social systems must be restructured to ensure that everyone has a stake in the economy.
- This means focusing on more than just wealth redistribution but also ensuring that individuals feel relevant and capable.
Encourage Broader Political Engagement: The political system needs to provide avenues for broader engagement that go beyond short-term partisanship.
- Democracy must involve creating a social contract that ensures dignity, participation, and financial support for all.
Ensure Technological Adaptation: Governments and political leaders must prepare society for the inevitable technological shifts by creating policies that mitigate displacement and inequality.
- This will ensure that technological advancement benefits the broader population, not just the elite.
Restore Public Faith in Democracy: Meaningful leadership is required to restore public trust in democratic institutions.
- This includes focusing on social and economic participation and addressing issues of dignity and unemployment directly.