The plague of unemployment

Unemployment is one of the major issues affecting Nigeria’s economy and its society. The rate of unemployment has increased during the last few years due to the fallout from the economic challenges. Out of a total active labour force of 85.08 million people in Nigeria, about 16 million people were unemployed in the third quarter of 2017. This was contained in a report on Labour Force Statistics in the third quarter of 2017 published on the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) website.

The report said the category of unemployed persons comprised 8.5 million people “who engaged in an economic activity for at least an hour” and 7.5 million people “who did absolutely nothing.” Also, 18.02 million people were underemployed, as they worked for 20 to 39 hours a week, which is less than the 40 hours required to be classified among the workforce. Unemployment is not just a matter of facts and figures. Individual dramas are the result, for this plague strikes people—men, women, and youths of every social class. And, since stable, meaningful work contributes greatly to feelings of personal worth, imagine the devastating effect of unemployment on those who are disabled, unskilled, or older in years.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), an unemployed person is one who is without work, is prepared to work, and is actively looking for work. But what about a person who does not have a permanent full-time job or one who manages to work just a few hours a week? Part-time work is considered differently from one country to another. In certain nations some who in reality are unemployed are officially counted as employed. Ill-defined situations between employment and unemployment make it difficult to determine who really is unemployed, and for this reason statistics describe only part of the reality. Psychologists find that among today’s unemployed, psychiatric and psychological problems are increasing, as well as emotional instability, frustration, progressive apathy, and loss of self-respect. When a person with children to care for loses a job, it is a terrible personal tragedy. The world has collapsed around them. Security has evaporated. Today, in fact, some experts note the emergence of an “anticipatory anxiety” related to the possibility of losing one’s job. This anxiety can seriously affect family relations and can have even more tragic results, as recent suicides of unemployed persons may indicate. Furthermore, the difficulty of breaking into the labor market is among the probable causes of violence and social alienation of young people.

How does unemployment affect youths? After a survey was conducted by a department of education and science, this observation was made: “One of the main external confirmations that adulthood had been reached was the attainment of full-time employment, which signalled the beginning of ‘real’ adult life, in an adult world and on adult terms, with concomitant financial independence.” So if it is felt that employment signals the beginning of real adult life, unemployment could be devastating to youths.

Mental attitude important
The situation is not necessarily as bad as some news reports indicate. If you are looking for a job, an adjustment in mental attitude toward employment may be what is needed. Of course, it is not wrong to seek the kind of job you find interesting. But when you cannot find such work, your employment situation is not necessarily hopeless. Other work that you can do is usually available; you may need only to adjust your thinking. Do not hesitate to go into another field of work, even though it is considered menial by the standards of some people.

The inclination of many persons has been to look down on a job if a person gets his hands dirty and wears “work clothes.” A youth, pointing out why certain jobs had gone begging, said: “People just don’t want them. Most of them are hard manual jobs.” But when persons get used to the physical work, it can often contribute to improved health.

Of course, false pride may cause some persons to view certain occupations as beneath their dignity. For example, when a good-paying job as a chauffeur was offered an unemployed film director, his wife made him refuse it. But does a person really benefit himself by allowing pride to keep him from offering legitimate services from which others can benefit? Particularly when jobs are scarce it is wise to analyze what we might be able to offer that others need and will pay for. If you are one of the millions who have lost their jobs, make adjustments. For instance, do work for yourself that, when employed, you had others do for you, such as perhaps automobile repairs, repairs around the home, and so forth. Cut down your budget immediately; do not assume that you will be back at regular work soon. Even if you have not been laid off from work, consider: If I were dismissed next week, could I handle my debts? If not, immediately begin to reduce the debts, denying yourself so as to pay off bills while you still have an income.

Finally, reappraise your work habits. Ask yourself: Do I have enthusiasm for my job and do I work at it with diligence? Is my work of good quality? Do I arrive early, and avoid wasting time? By putting forth real effort to be a good worker you may avoid losing your job. But even if you should be laid off, these fine qualities will help you to obtain other employment.

(Majority of this write-up (specifically from the fifth paragraph to the end) was culled from Awake! magazine, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses – with permission requested).
Ighakpe wrote from Lagos.