This is quite the conundrum. I think what we are witnessing/experiencing is the inevitable, albeit at an accelerated rate. Raw capitalism has this inherent requirement of having a large pool of expendable labor to use. There is a saying I remember from many jobs that goes something like, "well don't complain too much, there is a line of people out the door who will take your job and do it cheaper".

I believe this approach to the job comes from the depression era. People were hungry. Not for work but for a job. Unfortunately over the years the words job and work have become conflated. So they would do everything they could to retain their paycheck. these days with the backing of some rather generous unemployment benefits, a lot of people are enabled to sit and do little, so there is less incentive to seek out their next job or return to their old one.

I can see a future where employers are going to find it more beneficial to become more stewards of the community rather than their current model of hire/fire/grab and bank. I agree with the idea that employers will need to step up their social presence. They will have to become a beacon of hope or positivity in the community. A person needs to feel that they are part of something bigger. That's why churches are still a thing. A company that has a large presence in some sort of large social issue or construct will have a workforce that is happy to be there.

This was a great read and a profound warning. Having the figures and facts helps us all prepare for the bad weather ahead.

Thanks for the great work.

Cheers