[ExI] Is unemployment the future?

[BillK]

On 11/3/09, Eugen Leitl wrote:
<snip>
>  The unemployment rate in the US (Europe and elsewhere is not that
>  different or worse) is pretty close to 20%. If you look at the shift
>  in quality from around 1970, or so, you'll see it's make-pretend
>  work in low-skill minimal wage service serf sector. These people are not
>  happy, strangely enough.
>
>  I mean, we can pretend that nothing serious is happening, and tune
>  the statistics until they shine, but we're not fooling anybody. Not
>  on the long run, no-how.
>
>

Ah ha!  I see Eugen understands what is going on.

The official unemployment figures are massaged to meaninglessness by
the politicians. That's why I quoted the food stamps figures. So far
as I can tell these figures are just straight totals and are not
adjusted for public consumption.
Even GDP stats nowadays are mostly useless. Recovery??? That's a joke
- except for bankers' bonuses.

Also, many people 'officially' employed are on short time and have
very low take-home pay. Thus they become eligible for food stamps,
which shoots upwards.

It is not only computer tech that is the problem. Production has been
outsourced to China and the Far East. India provides helpdesks and
call-centres, cars come from Japan, etc. etc. The first world jobs are
in government or the remaining services that are not yet transferred
abroad.

In some areas of the UK, half the population is employed by the
national or local government or the national health service. They
provide services to the other half who are on unemployment benefit or
permanent disability benefit.

Is this the wonderful future we anticipate?

BillK