Creating job-multiplying industries
- Supporting companies with employment multiplier effects
Context
Job-multiplying industries are industries which require and stimulate spin-off industries, thereby creating jobs. The multiplication effects may be via forwards or backwards linkages. Examples include the shipbuilding industries of the 17th and 18th centuries in Western Europe, the mid-19th century railway boom, and the 20th century's automobile and aircraft industries. For instance, apart from creating employment in automobile manufacturing, jobs were generated through suppliers, petrol stations, garages, and infrastructure needs. However, many of today's technologies, notably automation and robotics, are uncoupled from job growth, and may destroy more jobs than they create. In recent years, many companies have also resorted to drastic cutting of labour costs as the method to achieve competitiveness. The results have been the emergence of a jobless recovery in the Western World. In this climate, is it therefore possible to create new jobs per year for the 40 million people being added to the world's economically-able in the developing countries? If as in the Western World only 3% to 6% of the workforce remained in the agricultural sector in developing countries, where now the figure is 50% to 80%, where would all these agricultural workers find alternative jobs. Granted that automatisation and modernisation are irreversible trends, the world should necessarily face a jobs crises, and whatever social consequences thereafter. Jobs will need to be generated. Focusing on the creation of job-multiplying industries is an obvious boost.