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The Unseen Workforce

A comprehensive academic guide to the complex economic phenomenon of unemployment, exploring its definitions, underlying theories, measurement challenges, and profound societal ramifications.

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Unemployment: An Overview

Defining the Unemployed

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), unemployment refers to the proportion of individuals, typically above 15 years of age, who are not engaged in paid employment or self-employment but are actively available for and seeking work within a specified reference period.[2] This definition emphasizes both the lack of work and the active pursuit of employment, distinguishing it from economic inactivity.

Measuring the Rate

The prevalence of unemployment is quantified by the unemployment rate, calculated as the number of unemployed individuals expressed as a percentage of the total labor force. The labor force encompasses both employed and unemployed persons. In 2018, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported approximately 172 million people globally, or 5% of the reported worldwide workforce, were without work.[5]

Global and Local Influences

Unemployment is a multifaceted phenomenon influenced by a range of factors, including the overall health of the economy, which can be significantly impacted by recessions. Other contributing elements include global competition, international trade dynamics, the emergence of new technologies and inventions, governmental policies and regulations, and unforeseen events such as wars, civil unrest, or natural disasters.[3]

Categorizing Unemployment

Cyclical Unemployment

Also known as deficient-demand or Keynesian unemployment, this type arises when the aggregate demand for goods and services in an economy is insufficient to provide jobs for all who desire to work. During economic downturns, reduced demand leads to decreased production and, consequently, fewer jobs. Wages often exhibit "stickiness," failing to adjust downwards to an equilibrium level, thus perpetuating unemployment.[17]

Structural Unemployment

This occurs when there is a fundamental mismatch between the skills possessed by unemployed workers and the skills required for available jobs. It reflects deeper, foundational issues within the economy and labor markets. Structural unemployment is often more persistent than other types and can be exacerbated by disruptive technologies and globalization, which alter the demand for specific skill sets.[4]

Frictional Unemployment

Often termed "search unemployment," this refers to the temporary period during which workers are transitioning between jobs or actively searching for new employment. It is considered a natural and often voluntary component of a dynamic labor market, as both jobs and workers are heterogeneous, requiring time and effort to find optimal matches in terms of skills, pay, location, and other factors.[7]

Hidden Unemployment

Official statistics frequently underestimate the true extent of unemployment due to "hidden" or "covered" unemployment. This category includes potential workers not reflected in official figures because they may have given up actively searching for work (discouraged workers), are engaged in government retraining programs, or are underemployed (working fewer hours than desired or in jobs below their skill level).[23]

Economic Theories

Real Wage Unemployment

Also known as classical or natural unemployment, this theory posits that unemployment arises when real wages are set above the market-clearing level, leading to an excess supply of labor. Factors such as minimum wage laws or governmental regulations that restrict layoffs can elevate labor costs, potentially reducing the number of available jobs. However, this perspective is often critiqued for oversimplifying the complex interplay of factors influencing unemployment.[8]

Full Employment Concepts

In demand-based theories, cyclical unemployment can theoretically be eliminated by boosting aggregate demand. However, economies eventually encounter an "inflation barrier" linked to other forms of unemployment. The "natural rate of unemployment" or Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment (NAIRU) represents the equilibrium unemployment rate where inflation neither accelerates nor decelerates. A key challenge is that the NAIRU is not static and is difficult to precisely determine, limiting its utility in policy formulation.[19]

Marxian Perspective

Karl Marx argued that unemployment is an intrinsic and necessary feature of the capitalist system. He theorized that capitalism inherently creates a "reserve army of labor," which exerts downward pressure on wages. This division of the proletariat into employed and unemployed segments benefits the capitalist class by reducing labor costs and increasing profits. From this viewpoint, persistent unemployment underscores capitalism's inability to ensure full employment, leading to worker alienation and periodic economic crises.[28]

Methods of Measurement

International Standards

National statistical agencies employ various methods to measure unemployment, which can complicate international comparisons. The International Labour Organization (ILO) provides guidelines for a harmonized definition: unemployed workers are those not currently working, willing and able to work for pay, available to work, and actively searching for employment within the prior four weeks.[41]

  • Labour Force Sample Surveys: The most preferred method, offering comprehensive results and enabling disaggregation by demographic categories.
  • Official Estimates: Derived from a combination of other methods, its use is declining in favor of direct labor surveys.
  • Social Insurance Statistics: Based on the number of insured persons collecting unemployment benefits. Criticized for not accounting for benefit expiration.
  • Employment Office Statistics: The least effective, as it only tallies registered job seekers and may include individuals not meeting the ILO definition of unemployed.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) utilizes two primary surveys: the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Current Employment Statistics (CES). The CPS, a household survey, measures the unemployment rate according to the ILO definition. The CES, a payroll survey, tracks non-agricultural employment. The BLS also reports six alternative measures (U1 to U6) to capture different facets of labor underutilization, from long-term unemployment to underemployment.[64]

  • U1: Percentage of the labor force unemployed 15 weeks or longer.
  • U2: Percentage of the labor force who lost jobs or completed temporary work.
  • U3: The official unemployment rate (ILO definition).
  • U4: U3 + "discouraged workers" (those who have stopped looking for work).
  • U5: U4 + other "marginally attached workers" (those who want to work but haven't looked recently).
  • U6: U5 + part-time workers who desire full-time work but cannot find it (underemployment).

Limitations & Nuances

Current unemployment metrics face criticism for not fully capturing the impact on individuals. They often exclude incarcerated populations, discouraged workers, involuntary early retirees, and those with disabilities who wish to work. Furthermore, the "underemployed" โ€“ individuals working part-time involuntarily or in jobs below their skill level โ€“ are not fully reflected in the official U3 rate. Historical data from non-industrialized economies also show how high rates of self-employment in agriculture can mask significant non-agricultural unemployment.[76]

Profound Effects

Individual Costs

Unemployment imposes severe financial burdens, potentially leading to homelessness through foreclosure or eviction. Beyond financial strain, it significantly increases susceptibility to various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, anxiety disorders, depression, and suicide. Studies indicate higher rates of medication use, poor diet, and substance abuse among the unemployed. Even optimists struggle to maintain a positive outlook when facing joblessness.[86]

Gender and Age Disparities

The impact of unemployment varies across demographics. Women are often more likely to experience unemployment and face challenges transitioning from temporary to permanent positions. However, men frequently report greater stress and depression from job loss, often linked to perceived threats to their role as breadwinners and the loss of work-based social networks. Both young individuals (18-24) with limited resources and older workers face significant barriers to employment, including age discrimination.[97]

Societal and Political Ramifications

High unemployment signifies an underutilization of a nation's labor resources, leading to reduced economic output and a loss of human capital as skills erode over time. It can foster xenophobia and protectionism, as workers fear job displacement by foreigners. Historically, high unemployment has been linked to increased crime rates and civil unrest, even contributing to political instability and the rise of totalitarian regimes, as seen with the Weimar Republic and the rise of Adolf Hitler.[109]

Unexpected Benefits

Labor Availability

One often-overlooked benefit of unemployment is the availability of a labor pool. This allows both new and established businesses to hire staff without needing to "headhunt" individuals away from existing employers, facilitating business growth and adaptation. This flexibility in the labor market can be crucial for economic dynamism and the formation of new enterprises.

Inflation Control

Unemployment can serve as a mechanism to temper inflation. In Marxian terms, a "reserve army of labor" helps keep wages in check, which can prevent inflationary pressures. The Shapiro-Stiglitz model of efficiency wages suggests that a certain level of unemployment is necessary to deter shirking among employed workers, as the threat of job loss incentivizes productivity. This dynamic prevents wages from falling to market-clearing levels, thereby maintaining a degree of unemployment but also ensuring worker effort.[114]

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References

References

  1.  "International Unemployment Rates: How Comparable are They?" by Constance Sorrentino, Monthly Labor Review, June 2000, pp. 3รขย€ย“20.
  2.  Marco Giugni, ed. The Contentious Politics of Unemployment in Europe: Welfare States and Political Opportunities(Palgrave Macmillan; 2011) covers Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland.
  3.  United States, Bureau of Labor Statistics,[2]. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
  4.  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "The Employment Situation: January 2008," January 2008
  5.  U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, Office of Workforce Security, UI Weekly Claims
  6.  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table A-15. Alternative measures of labour underutilization Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  7.  "History of the Death Penalty". Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
  8.  "Poverty in Elizabethan England". BBCย รขย€ย“ History.
  9.  Nancy E. Rose, Put to Work: The WPA and Public Employment in the Great Depression (2nd ed. 2009)
  10.  "Eurozone unemployment hits double digits". UPI.com. 8 January 2010.
  11.  "Europe's New Lost Generation". Foreign Policy. 13 July 2009.
  12.  "Asia strips Africa's textile industry". Asia Times. 26 April 2005.
  13.  "China trade blamed for 2.4 million lost US jobs-report". Reuters. 23 March 2010.
  14.  "Factory jobs: 3 million lost since 2000". USA Today. 20 April 2007.
  15.  "Unemployment hits highest since 1995". 16 September 2009.
  16.  Unemployment statistics. Eurostat. April 2012.
A full list of references for this article are available at the Unemployment Wikipedia page

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