Unemployment and social inequalities

Above is the unemployment rate since 1948. As one can see, the unemployment rate ticked up around 1970 and only a few brief periods turned back down to 1941-1968 levels. (notably, once during the dot com bubble). The numbers are even more striking when we look at those who have been unemployed longer then 27 weeks. These figures are easy to stare at, but what do they mean for actual people? What does it mean for the unemployment rate to be 3 as opposed to 6 percent (let alone 10 or 12)? What does it mean for the number of people unemployed for over 27 weeks to approach zero in parts of the “golden era” and to secularly increase ever since?

The Center for Disease Control provided a chilling Glimpse last April when they sent out a press release about suicide rates and the “business cycle” (basically the cycles where unemployment and the amount society produces goes up and down). According to their study the suicide rate usually rose during recessions and fell during expansions. “The largest increase in the overall suicide rate occurred in the Great Depression (1929-1933)—it surged from 18.0 in 1928 to 22.1 (all-time high) in 1932 (the last full year in the Great Depression)—a record increase of 22.8% in any four-year period in history. It fell to the lowest point in 2000”.

The ability to pursue a happy and fulfilling life is paramount to a socially harmonious society. As Martin Luther King stated “if a man doesn't have a job or an income, he has neither life nor liberty nor the possibility for the pursuit of happiness. He merely exists”. When inequalities prevent that, and even drive people to suicide, they are inflicting damage of the highest order. Unfortunately, this is only a small sample of the damage caused by Unemployment on social inequality. Unemployment affects crime rates, family cohesion and all other elements of (and inequalities within) social life. How preventable is Unemployment? If it is preventable, why isn't it prevented? To what extent is social inequality responsible for unemployment and to what extent is unemployment responsible for inequality?

King, Martin Luther. "Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution." King Institute Home. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. .

"Press Release:CDC Study Finds Suicide Rates Rise and Fall with Economy." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. .

"Unemployment Rate Data." Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. .