The Global Unemployment Rate And Accuracy of Data

 

The condition of the economy is determined by the amount of employment. Using the global unemployment rate as a measure provides incite. Over the past 34 years, there have been fluctuations in unemployment. A number of circumstances cause this. The fall of the Soviet union caused unemployment in Eastern Europe. The global financial crisis in 2008 harmed the labor market and COVID-19 change the nature of employment. The data from over the decades is not precise. While it can be argued it was accurate, the total number of unemployed was higher. The period between 1991 to 2016 does not reflect all people without work. Much of the data used comes from either the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. These institutions have been criticized related to their conduct in regards to Global South nations. Errors can occur in data collection and the way unemployment is measured is subject to change. People who given up seeking work or not trying are excluded from the data. This  distorts the statistics of global unemployment. The number is much larger and growing. A trend can be seen with certain events. The next wave of global unemployment will come from automation and artificial intelligence. The effects of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic caused another mass global unemployment event. The world has not recovered in terms of business security and income. The working class suffers the most, but the middle class will be the next victim. Many skilled jobs are going to be replaced. The middle class could cease to exist with the full integration of automation and artificial intelligence. Data collection must be as precise as possible to help formulate solutions to increases in global unemployment. Otherwise, economic reports from various institutions will not be useful.  

The Professional job Recession

 

Economists have noted there is a decline  related to industries such a tech, consulting, and finance. Various corporation across numerous industries are doing layoffs. The traditional office job could be experiencing what occurred with manufacturing. The common description of this is white collar recession. To be precise, it is a professional job recession. The common term is misleading, because it claims to be only happening in certain occupations. Workers with higher education and multiple skills are still subject to the exploitation of a capitalist system. Education and working for a particular company was claimed to protect workers from layoffs or job loss. Since 2022, layoffs have increased in the white collar classified jobs. Searching for positions has become more difficult or companies slowdown hiring. Those who remain employed are doing more work for less pay. What the global economy is experiencing looks closer to the 2008 financial meltdown. The professional worker class is not protected. Blue collar work was subject to disruptions in the economy. White collar work was shielded to an extent. The professional worker is getting closer to the conditions faced by the working class on a regular basis. The reason most cannot recognize the exploitation of the professional class was related to job benefits. Paid vacations, healthcare, and possible promotion were common benefits corporations offered. Overtime, such benefits were either reduced or disappeared. The professional managerial class and business elite can exploit the workforce to their benefit. The professional job recession will be exacerbated by more supply side economic policies, automation, and outsourcing.  

The Teacher Shortage

 

The United States is facing a shortage of teachers. Many have left as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, low pay, and the controversies surrounding curriculum. The largest portion of positions are in the subjects of science and mathematics. Without enough teachers for these subjects, the US will fall behind in producing engineers, biologists, doctors,  physicists, and  computer scientists. Combined with the fact higher education has gotten more expensive, this will negatively effect employment. The world is witnessing a fourth industrial revolution in which information technology has more importance. If elementary and high school students are not getting a quality education, then they will not be prepared for the workforce. Those who do obtain degrees still have to deal with massive amounts of debt. The economy will suffer from a labor force with limited skills and a small skilled labor force victim to income inequality. The children of the United States are going to have a worse quality of life than their parents did. Students have been struggling with reading, prior to the shortage and it will only get worse. Students with learning disabilities are impacted more from a teacher shortage. Parents either have to get their children tutors or move their children to another school. The solutions to this challenge is to increase teacher pay, do more recruitment, and have public education federally funded. The US government will have to make a serious effort to help various school systems at both the state and local level.  

The Pension Reform Protests Escalate

 

France is seeing a rise in protests over the pension reforms. Increasing the retirement age is not a policy that should be implemented when Europe faces economic difficulties. As demonstrations spread, police violence has increased. Images of tear gas and police using clubs have been seen all over the world. The image of orderly,  democratic, and free Europe has been destroyed. The image was in many ways a myth used to keep citizens passive about economic and political conditions. The new pension reforms are an attack on workers, labor unions, and the French public. President Emmanuel Macron is determined to force through the changes, even if it costs him politically. The bill was pushed through the lower house of parliament without a vote. Doing this raises questions about the legality of the matter. What the demonstrations expose is the normalization of police brutality and plots against organized labor. The attacks on the yellow vest protests were a precursor  to the current violence. Violence from law enforcement has caught the attention of Amnesty International, the Council of Europe, and the International Federation of Human Rights. The use of stun grenades and rubber bullets have been condemned by these organizations. The establishment claims police are being attacked by leftists and anarchists who create violence. Most of the violence comes from law enforcement directed at protesters. It does not matter if they are peaceful or violent. A coordinated effort is designed to repress workers and the public. France might continue to descend further into labor disputes, civil unrest, and authoritarian tendencies.   

France Wants To Increase The Retirement Age

 

France intends to increase the retirement age despite growing public opposition. Demonstrators and unions have been active expressing their anger over the new legislation. President Macron claimed that moving the age up was designed to confront France's deficit. Nationwide strikes will continue if this economic policy becomes law. The proposed change cannot solve the deficit. Such an event only occurs when revenue cannot not cover expenses of a nation. A practical solution would be for France to start exporting more goods to other countries. Doing so would increase the needed economic growth. Making it more difficult to get a pension does not help an economy. The government does not want to give its citizens the benefits of contributing to France's labor force. The proposed change will disproportionately harm the working class labor force. Among this group most might live to collect their pension. Those who are in dangerous professions are negatively impacted. The 64 years of age retirement proposal has induced labor strikes across the country. Sanitation and transportation workers are becoming more involved in the opposition to reform. If the legislation passes, more demonstrations will continue. Funding the pension system requires higher taxation . What critics claim is that the age increase is a means of gradually abolishing it.  The workforce could die before collecting their pensions. The argument would be made that it would no longer be necessary. The movement to increase retirement age is not just happening in France. The EU is attempting to impose it on member states.  

Tech Companies Continue Layoffs

 

Tech companies are continuing to layoff workers. This comes at a time when inflation and rising food prices remain an economic challenge. Twitter, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have been laying off workers between the months of October to November. The massive amount of job loss demonstrates that the concept of job security is non-existent . Job loss can effect both skilled and unskilled workers. Education was thought to be a  gateway to better career opportunities. Coders and software engineers find themselves vulnerable in a neoliberal capitalist system, even though they have useful skills. It has been cited that the layoffs are  the result of changes in buying behavior of customers. The pandemic might not be over, but there has been some control established. Tech companies claim that it was a hiring spree done during the pandemic and it can no longer afford to keep every worker. The claim lacks cogency considering these companies generate immense profits. Microsoft's programs are used in numerous offices, schools, and for personal computers. The layoffs could be a preemptive measure for large tech companies that suspect a recession is coming. This has not been confirmed by economists, but still could be a possibility. The CEOs of the major tech giants did this for a more obvious reason. Increasing their pay is more important to them than having employees. To counter the effects of thousands of layoffs, the remaining employees will do more work. The change does not ensure an increase in wages or salaries. Promotions are not guaranteed either for extra labor. While motives of are not clear, one assertion can be made with certainty. The global economy is in a poor condition. Other sectors could see mass layoffs in the coming months. 

The 2022 Qatar World Cup Controversy

 

A growing controversy has emerged about Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup. The country has been known to put restrictions on press freedom, women's rights, and discriminates against those of the LGBTQ community. Labor practices have been known to endanger workers and leave them with low pay. Migrant labor was used to construct the stadium required for the World Cup. Workers from South Asia and Africa were major contributors to making the event possible. Qatar did not have a large enough labor force to build a stadium with migrant worker help. Qatar is a monarchy ruled by King Tamim bin Al Thani who took over after his father's abdication in 2013. King Tamim has been a major force in getting his kingdom to host international sporting events. Exposing  Qatar's human rights abuses is important, but it should not be ignored that France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States still hold diplomatic relations with the kingdom. The European countries do not have a perfect human rights record and at times aid Qatar in the destabilization of other Arab states. Qatar has assisted  a number of armed groups and terrorists in Syria and Libya. Despite this information, that will not stop soccer fans from watching or going to Qatar. Corruption might actually go deeper with accusations of Qatar rigging the host selection process. Professional football is a major business and it is a sport that Qatar wants more influence. The kingdom has protection by the West, because follows particular policies related to Middle East affairs. The governments of North America and Europe have little credibility lecturing about human rights when they have invaded Global South nations. Only human rights activists have the credibility to do so. Trying to raise awareness is difficult with a football fandom,  which does not want to think of their sport contributing to human rights abuses.    

Discontent Among US Railway Workers

 

A potential railway strike was avoided in the United States. While the focus was an extension of supply chain issues and the loss of billions dollars, the complaints of workers remained ignored. Employees do not randomly go on strike unless there is a decline in working conditions. Railroad corporations have failed their employees in the US freight industry. BNSF and Union Pacific have seen immense profits, but workers have not seen dramatic improvement. Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate has done well considering the current economic condition in the US. The combination of labor cuts, reduced compensation, and grueling precision scheduling systems has caused discord among workers. On call scheduling systems and limited time off has added to the frustration. If US railway labor unions cannot get an agreement that solves all these problems, then this can happen again in the next few years. Paid time off and  changing the scheduling policies are the only solutions. The Railway Labor Act was designed to allow corporations and unions to discuss concerns and grievances  to avert a nation wide labor incident. If abuses still happen there may be no other choice but to do a mass strike. Labor unions should not settle for an agreement that does not get to the route of labor disputes. Laws should protect workers, not corporate power. A total of twelve labor unions have been negotiating contracts.     

Accusations of Sexual Harassment At The United Nations

 

The United Nations has been accused of creating a hostile workplace for women. The international body has been exposed to have massive amounts of sexual harassment claims. Those who were subject to abuse either had their claims ignored or faced retaliation. The accusations come as the UN faces challenges related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, climate change, and growing US-China tension. The cases of sexual violence and abuse  are not shocking considering more egregious incidents. UN peacekeepers have engaged in sexual violence in conflict zones. Seeing as women are also a part of those forces similar cases have occurred. Although  the UN has denied whistleblowers were targeted for exposing crimes, evidence suggests some were terminated because they exposed this to the press. The slow response and limited investigation implies cove-up or guilt. The UN has presented itself as the institution that promotes human rights and the protection of international law. The image that has been presented to the public has gradually faded. Corruption and an unsafe work environment has damaged the UN's credibility. Women who thought the United Nations could advance the cause of women's rights are faced with a dilemma. The world's most powerful supranational institution has a sexist and male dominated workplace culture. Creating gender balance in leadership will not help, unless culprits are punished for their actions. If the United Nations does not fix failures in policy and the organization, it might not survive. The UN could become defunct from internal problems that it refuses to resolve. The exact number of incidents is unknown. The United Nations has not provided data related to sexual harassment in its offices or sexual violence during peacekeeping operations.  

Global Inflation Increases

 

The pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war has caused an increase in global inflation. Consumer goods are rising in price due to these events. The other factor is that certain corporations are taking advantage of the situation. Intentional price hikes are being done and are not being challenged. World leaders will face the ire of citizens who cannot afford food or fuel. Food prices were previous increasing prior to the war in Ukraine. Global inflation will not effect all nations equally. The developing nations will struggle combined with debts owed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The developed nations might do better, but the class structure means people in poverty are more vulnerable. It is possible that more people could fall into poverty. Inflation does happen in an economic system. The concern is about the rate of inflation, Since January prices have gone up. If this is not controlled, it is possible the world could see another economic crisis. The world have not recovered from the 2008 economic crash. The EU will see higher gas and oil prices due to the sanctions directed at Russia. Although the US is not dependent on Russian energy, the sanctions imposed will still effect American energy prices. This explains why Asian and African nations are not willing to impose sanctions on Russia. China doing lockdowns harms economic activity. A slowdown in economic growth has created fears of possible recession. While the future cannot be predicted, the condition of the global economy is weakening.