UNEMPLOYMENT

Work is very essential in order for us to live. We will not be able to support ourselves

in our daily sustenance as well as our families if we do not work.

Work has been in existence from the time God created the world. At the very beginning

of the Bible, God reveals Himself as a worker. Hence, there is a need for us to look into the

Bible doctrine of work. In Genesis 1:26, 28 and 31, we read, “Then god said, "Let us make man

in our image, in our likeness, and let him rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,

over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

God blessed them and said unto them. 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and

subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living that

moves on the ground.' God saw all that He had made, and it was very good."

In the verses mentioned, we have beautiful examples of God's satisfaction in his work. In

Genesis 2:8, 15 we are informed how God planted the Garden of Eden and put the man

whom He had made into this garden, commanding him to "till it and keep it." This means that

the man has to cultivate and protect it. Just as what He had put the earth in general into the

care of man, now He put the Garden of Eden in particular into the care of man. 2
1. Work is intended for the fulfillment of the worker.

This means that satisfaction in job is a Biblical concept. Th two sentences in Genesis 1:26
belong together. God said, "Let make man in our own image," and "let them have dominion is
because we bear the image of God that we share the dominion of God. Therefore, being
creative for work, which is our potentials an essential part of our Godlike humanness, and
work of some kind is indispensable for our humanness. We are not considered human
beings if we do not work. It is further supported by Eccl 3:22 which states there is nothing
better for a man than to enjoy his work."

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2. Work is intended for the benefit of the community.

Adam was able to feed and clothe himself and his family by cultivating the land. God
gave Israel "a land flowing with milk and honey", and in doing so, He commanded that the
poor, the alien, the orphan, the widow, and other deprived people should share in the
productivity of the soil.

3. Work is intended for the glory of God.

We view this as the highest level of work, because in God creation. He deliberately
humbled Himself in order to require the cooperation of man and woman in running the earth.
He did to create earth for His own benefit.

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Definition of Unemployment

Unemployment is defined as the percentage of the labor lo unemployed at any time. It is

endemic in very single free mar economy

Types of Unemployment

1. Frictional unemployment. This is a type of unemployment caused by workers voluntarily

changing jobs and by temporary layoffs.
2. Structural unemployment. This is unemployment of workers whose skills are not
demanded by employers; they lack sufficient skill to obtain employment, or they cannot
easily move to locations where jobs are available.
3. Cyclical unemployment-business-cycle. This is a type of unemployment caused by
insufficient total spending (or by insufficient aggregate demand).
Causes of Unemployment

1. Social security benefits for the unemployed reduce incentives to work;

2. Fixed costs associated with hiring workers make it uneconomical to do
so;
3. Changing industries require changing skills and geographic locations
which the workforce cannot keep up with;
4. Immigrants "taking all our jobs";
5. Exportation of jobs to the developing world; and
6. Overpopulation
The Contemporary Problems of Unemployment

The industrial psychologists describe various stages of the trauma in which the unemployed
persons have experienced the loss of jobs bereavement

1. Shock. This is a feeling of humiliation. It is a real blow to the self-image.

2. Denial. The unemployed person starts to search for an explanation why he is fired. He may
be too numb even to begin to understand. At the beginning of his unemployment he is on a
kind of holiday. Denial from reality protects him for the deep hurt.

3. Frustration. The make-believe denial is starting to shatter especially if the wife and the
children are starting to demand for their needs.
4. Depression and Pessimism. There can be anticipation and a feeling of optimism at the
beginning of the unemployed search for a job. He scans the daily newspapers and sends his
application and curriculum vitae. After repeated setbacks, the unemployed becomes
pessimistic and depressed.

5. Despair. After several years without work, the unemployed feels hopeless and bitter. He is
demoralized and dehumanized because he cannot find a job. Part of this despair is loneliness
and he becomes isolated from his former work mates. He goes to bed late and wakes up late
too, to avoid observing the people around him.

6. Acceptance Acceptance doesn’t mean not experiencing distress, emotions or trauma. It

does not mean you condone what is happening. It means noticing what you are fighting
against, validating your desire to fight against it, and re-orienting yourself to the reality of the
moment you are in. It means not getting stuck, or getting un-stuck, from other stages.
Mindfulness and a non-judgmental, curious attitude can be a big help.