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The Poor Cannot Afford to Be Unemployed Essay

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History has brought upon wonders on how economists view the conditions of different nations whether it is about aggregate output or policies implemented by the government and central bank. Now, it is quite interesting to note how unemployment, as I have studied in the last few weeks, indicates a far different realization when applied to the Philippine setting. It is as if unemployment in our country wears a mask that hides how the government, even with its good intentions, fails to address the more pressing problem we have, which is poverty. “The poor can’t afford to be unemployed” The cliché statement above may very well describe how unemployment pose as a false indicator of the development of the country in terms of its working force.…show more content…
This further enhances our view that most of the unemployed people are those who can afford to be one, so it reveals that our country is not only burdened with high unemployment but also from dire conditions faced by those who are already employed. This now questions my belief on whether the establishment of special economic zones by the current government would remedy both problems. Lastly, it is a question of whether there is a need to reconsider the merits of unemployment in establishing policies. Filipinos deserve something better. As shown in the paper I read, an increase in unemployment has little effect to poverty, which indicates that Filipinos who are employed are no better than those who are unemployed. Meaning, most of the employed in the country do not maximize their capabilities since they are underemployed that suggests a lower productivity. This occurrence may have been the reason why many Filipinos opt to work abroad where their capabilities are valued more resulting to our lack of competent workers. Furthermore, looking deeper to the employed sector in the country to those who are informally employed—such as the vendors we see on the sidewalks, jeepney drivers, domestic help, and many more—shows that the major part of the employed are poor people struggling to survive the harsh conditions they are faced with. This is the second matter concerning the unemployment in the country aside from the evident lack of welfare benefits discussed earlier.
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