As if people matter

How incredilbly sad it was to read in the papers last week that a young woman Vicky Harrison took her own life after failing to find a job after 2 years of searching. She was well educated and applied for about 12 jobs a week from shop working to waitressing.  She became depressed and felt she had no future. 

New figures show that unemployment has risen to a 16 year high to 2.5 million, of which nearly a million are 18-24 year olds. 

Unfortunately globalisation means that manufacturing and services are carried out where it is economically the most viable ie where wages are lowest.  The UK now has a £50 billion manufacturing trade deficit.  As jobs go to countries with low wages, unemployment here rises and wages get lowered as a knock on effect.  To further add to the problem, there is now mass immigration from workers overseas/EU who can be exploited by unscrupulous employers to work for next to nothing, further depressing wages and increasing unemployment.  Then what happens is that more people become so much worse off that they have to buy these 'cheap' imported goods because they can't afford anything else.  It's a great business strategy that is incredibly successful! 

At least it would be incredibly successful but for the Vickys of this world.  Unemployment is a terrible thing.  It brings lots of social problems, poverty, crime, drugs, family break ups, anti social behaviour, depression and suicide.  Not to mention sky high taxes paying for unemployment and all the services that have to be provided for the migrants.  Employers like all this cheap labour because they don't have to pay these hidden costs. It's society that pays.  And pays dearly.

There has to be another way, as if people matter.  People are brilliant.  They want to use their brains and their hands and feel useful and do a good days work.  If only more employers/governments would see that.

Rising unemployment, national debt of £900 billion, consumer debt of £225 billion.  Public unrest. Environmental pollution.  Etc. Way to go govt and captains of industry. 

Here at Not Mass Produced we really appreciate what people can do, see examples below, but of course  can't help feeling that more must be done to change the way the system works (or doesn't work as the case may be):