Question 78: WHAT IS BUDDHISM’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE CURRENT UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUE IN THE WORLD?

Answer: In the past, unemployment was less of an issue because the natural environment – rivers, forests, and fields – belonged to everyone. Anyone who puts in effort could find a means of living through natural resources. Today, however, society has become more organized, with strict regulations and systems, people must seek employment within a company or organization; it means they have to work for someone else. Small businesses unable to compete with larger companies are gradually being absorbed by larger ones. Over time, most people have become employees of some company, government institution, or large-scale agricultural operation, with very few individuals still running small-scale businesses.

When people can’t find these opportunities, they face unemployment. They can no longer return to rural areas to fish, plant vegetables, or sell goods on the street. Without a job, they often end up without a home, without a family, and without a future – jobless, homeless, and futureless frequently go hand in hand.

In times of unemployment, people desperately wish for someone to hire them to do anything, just so they can earn enough money to buy food, which makes them feel incredibly humbled. When we look at the homeless living on the streets and dying alone across the world, we can better understand their tragic situation.

One of the reasons that makes people struggle to find jobs is that as children, they avoided helping their parents with household chores, thinking such tasks were beneath them. The aversion to household work makes it difficult to find work later in life.

Another reason is being too picky, looking only for jobs that match one’s personal interests, rather than trying to love and commit to the job they currently have, as long as it contributes positively to society.

Another cause could be never having helped others find employment. When seeing someone unemployed, they may feel indifferent and do nothing to assist.

Lastly, when people are employed, they often focus solely on earning a salary without considering that their productivity should exceed their pay to create a lasting relationship with their employer. When wages exceed productivity, the connection with the employer weakens, and one day, the employer may no longer need them. So we must work with high productivity to maintain a strong bond with our employer, making them naturally want to keep us employed for the long term.