The Unemployment Crisis of the 21st Century
From the humble plow, to the combustible steam engine, and far beyond that which would be absolutely unrecognizable to those in the past; humanity has always tinkered with ways in which to make our efforts in the gathering and producing of goods easier. As seen throughout human history, however, the struggles associated with such advances in technique and technology often result in employers pursuing a policy of rationalization which leaves the displaced workers jobless.
Throughout the past few decades there has been a push within companies to replace human labor with machine operated devices. Amazon, in particular, has pursued a strong policy of implementing robotics more and more within their warehouses. All of this to the dismay of those already concerned with the company's atrocious anti labor practices. There has been abundant use of automation within the Automotive and Construction industries as well. And while this may create a boon for the employer in that less working hours are required, or even overall manpower, in return for higher productive capability; where does the displaced working class end up by this new rising tide of mass automation?
So what is the solution to the issue? What do we do with the newly created surplus labor that is displaced by the process of automation and then rationalization? The unemployed need a way to provide for their families and the answer can be found in the creation of State entities that work alongside the private sector. Now, even the admission of relying upon the State for anything will make most common conservatives tilt their head at such a proposition. But, as illustrated by American history, it can be beneficial not only to those laid off by their employer (“the people") but also the nation as a whole (“the State"). The government is not an enemy, but an integral tool in which the populace may seek refuge in times of uncertainty. People commonly ask, and even, expect the government to help during times of mother nature's natural disasters; why cannot the same people ask of the government also to help during times of disasters within the economy? The State's very existence and duty is to provide for its community after all, and the economy should naturally be considered a part of that duty. And on the other side of things, the private sector isn't a foe either; for a well economically tuned State requires both the private and public spheres to be capable of working in tandem with each other.
The United States had flirted with such ideas of combining the power of the private and public sector before. Two prime examples were during the FDR administration with the NRA (National Recovery Administration) and the TVAA (Tennessee Valley Authority Act). And while we shouldn’t merely look to the past and hope that we can somehow “copy and paste” such policies into our modern day, we can still take inspiration from them. Especially from these two agencies in dealing with the issue of unemployment caused by the surplus of available labor.
Another solution to handle the upcoming unemployment crisis would be a creation of a State led organization to bring in those unemployed to work on infrastructure projects throughout the Nation. As our own history has shown, Public Work projects have provided reliable work for those unemployed. The infrastructure in this country could use a massive facelift and modernization effort to help the populace commute around the country and provide businesses a more cost effective way of transporting goods via their use of the highways/roads.
Beyond the “Public Works” industry there should be a creation of a State organization to reroute the unemployed to new industries required by our national economy. It would be done in the name of self-reliance as a nation, but as well as providing cushion from devastating side effects of operating within the global economy. This country in particular suffers from a lack of home production when it comes to domestic goods. Just look at how the Covid pandemic wrecked our ability to maintain stocks of goods within our store shelves. It’s pretty easy to see how not having a larger at-home production capability can lead to major problems.
Through the creation of new domestic industries such as the critical electronic chip manufacturing that we rely on other countries for; the State can provide on the job training and a career for those unemployed. It would assist in not only providing a stream of income for families, but also enrich the Nation through not having to pay the price for foreign imports. It's a win-win situation for not only our economic health as a nation, but also has the capacity to help those in need of employment produce high quality goods for our own people to use.
Ultimately the State needs to step up in providing the people a better safety net, rather than just cutting them an unemployment check. And, in the face of the upcoming mass unemployment due to automation and then later rationalization of the economy, there needs to be a better solution to this issue than pretending it doesn’t exist. When and where the private sector fails its workers by replacing them with machines without a care, the State has its duty to be involved.
