A world of work

We are spoilt in a way, and so when the general unemployment rate goes up, we take notice. When, if we become unemployed, we really take notice.

There was a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald noting that it had never really been this bad. Due to the shut-down of businesses before the easing, the unofficial unemployment rate, more accurate than the general rate, went through the roof.

Well, it has never been this bad for those doing well before the pandemic.

it is worth remembering for other people, long before the pandemic there was high unemployment.

In rural Queensland, the official unemployment rate in 2018, about 14%. Not to mention the higher unofficial rate.  In Moreton Bay-North, the official rate was 9.4%.

In fact, there are multiple places around the country where the rate was and is higher than the general rate. Unfortunately for those unemployed people before the pandemic, there was no doubling of unemployment benefits or the JobKeeper.

Internationally, we may not get too much sympathy.

In Namibia, long before this pandemic, their rate of unemployment was 33.4%, in Dec 2018.  

Angola had a slightly lower rate, their unemployment rate in Dec 2019, 31.8%. These numbers are from Trading Economics and may not include all those unemployed.  

We may also not get too much sympathy from America, even before the pandemic. The number of workers that got laid off in 2018, 21.9 million. They probably could share what it was like to get laid off before lays-off got the attention they get now.  

People in South Africa may like to swap places with us, with or without our pandemic induced unemployment increase. As the rate of unemployment in South Africa, in Dec 2019, 29.1%.

So, as we reflect on how important it is to have work in Australia, or to get back to work, let us do other things as well.

Let us do more to ensure that it is a world of work for everyone.

Let us not only open stores that have closed because of the pandemic but do something about the other closed stores. The ones like in America, in economically depressed areas, that have been boarded up for years.

How about we do more to help the people of Kosovo. The unemployment rate at 25.9% in Dec 2019. We could do something for Gabon, where their unemployment rate was 19.6% in the same period.

One thing we could do for them donate to charity. To make it easier for those without work in those countries.

Once the pay cuts are restored to Australian workers, some that have had 20% or 25% cuts, that money can be donated. As even after the cuts, workers here are still doing better than many other people in the country. They are certainly doing better than many people in the world.

We could also be tougher on politicians, from any party.

As they tout low general unemployment rates. We should ask them more about rural Queensland or Townsville. Not to mention the many other places like outback Western Australia, or Paramatta, NSW. Where the rate of unemployment is higher than the general rate.  

We need a job guarantee, where the government guarantees a job for people in these areas. There is not a strong enough business case, for enough businesses to go out there.

The global funds for things like education, should be joined with better resourced job funds. Providing the funds needed to expand the number of jobs in the world, in areas of high unemployment.

Companies should reconsider laying people off, with or without a pandemic.

Consider not automating some things, if safe not to, to ensure more workers can be employed.

We should campaign for those that have not gone to university, so there are more jobs for them.

Campaigning for more unskilled jobs to be created. As there has been a significant decline in unskilled jobs, in countries like Australia. Yes, this was long before the pandemic.

It also means providing the same kind of health funding that is going to COVID-19, to other health matters. Ill health and disability are big causes of unemployment or infrequent employment.

TB is a highly contagious disease that kills more than one million people per year. There is a shortfall in funding, a few billion dollars, that needs to be addressed.

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria could certainly do with more than 4 billion per year.

The Asian Development Bank could do with some extra funds. They received less than 3.5 billion from donors for the 2017-2020 replenishment period.

The Asian Development fund and bank provide grants and loans to Asian countries. Providing funds that can be used to create more, and better employment for people.

The Australian government basically needs to increase foreign aid to these organizations.  

In Australia, we could bring in more temporary and permanent migrants.  Helping people from low income countries get jobs and better paying jobs.

A world of work for everyone.