By Tom Brown
We can handle short term unemployment pretty well. In most of the states of the US we give 3 to
6 months, depending on the state, of payments based on the individual’s
previous wages and number of months worked, up to a limit per week. We hope that the individual finds work before
the benefits run out. We often supply
listings of available jobs, as supplied by area employers.
This works well enough when there are jobs in the same
occupation and skill level of the person that becomes unemployed.
We do not handle longer term unemployment well at all. For example:
--a person no longer employable in his former occupation or skill
because there are no jobs in that occupation, or because the person has aged
out or the person does not have up to date skills will not find a job.
--when jobs in the skill area are available in another
region distant from the area where the unemployed person lives, the person will
not get the job unless the person is aware of the opening and moves.
--the unemployed person that needs retraining to possess
employable skills must be able to cover the cost of the training to get the
job.
Clearly the idea of simply paying a weekly amount to an
individual who cannot quickly find nearby work is almost useless. You are not assisting the individual in
re-employment, you are only assisting the person in short term survival.
And these cases are going to grow because of changes to our
employment market. Some examples:
First, our economy is going to using more high-skilled
service employees. Health care is but
one of many examples.
Second, our manufacturing industries are going to require
more highly trained, highly skilled people.
--low skilled assembly lines are less important
--custom-manufacturing using high skills is becoming more
important, for example advanced welding or even good general mechanical skills
--maintenance of equipment is increasingly complex and
technical
Third our communication, entertainment and advertising
industries are changing significantly.
--printing is less important and what is left is highly
computer oriented.
--print advertising is being replace by on line advertising
which uses a different more technical skill set to produce it.
--computer applications are everyplace including on mobile
telephones.
But society has an obligation to help every individual
contribute to the economy for the good of everyone.
So what can we do?
We can encourage and help an unemployed person to make a
career assessment.
--are there jobs in my field?
--are my skills and current physical and mental capabilities
such that I can get one of the available jobs?
--if I cannot get one of the available jobs, what are my
options?
--what help do I need to become re-employed? Do I need training,
relocation, therapy or medical treatment?
--if I am not employable, how do I get welfare or disability
assistance?
--if I need training, relocation or medical treatment, what
help can I get?
Probably the career assessment could be accomplished with
state employment offices, or there could be a private career counselling
opportunity.
We can also set up programs to help with the costs of
training relocation or treatments and living expense while in these programs.
But help with costs needs to be a sharing proposition.
The individual needs to share in the costs by involving
family members in assistance and personally converting assets to cash and
agreeing to repay loans…..and saving for difficult times!
Employers need to share in the cost by offering, conducting
or funding training, including a share of living expense.
Government probably needs to share in the cost by handling
the administration of the program and perhaps providing some of the living and
relocation expense and by allowing use of Health Savings or 401K/IRA funds for
employment related needs.
Additionally government needs to pull together a total
picture of current needs, trends and future needs for employers, employees and
taxpayers.
We need to be in the position of anticipating and preparing
for employment and re-employment needs, even anticipating downturns.
It is less useful to react after a downturn, labor surplus
or labor shortage happens than before it happens.
It is interesting what other countries are doing.
Germany has a well-developed apprentice program for training
skilled workers.
Singapore has reinvented its workforce several times, as it
moved from, shop factories to low skilled assembly and to electronics. They are possibly the most proactive.
For us in the United States, I do not view this as a start
of another entitlement from the federal government.
I do view this as an opportunity for political leadership,
or even executive orders for existing agencies to participate; maybe even an
opportunity for foundation grants to individuals for career assistance
