Marxist view of unemployment

After Marxist view social unemployment is necessary for capitalism and represents one of its necessary accompaniments. It results from the obligation of the achievement of maximum profit. For this reason with wage lowerings no additional workers are stopped, if the existing for production are sufficient. The unemployed persons therefore form an argument for the capitalists, by becoming the competition for the working population. They educate the "industrielle reserve army" (Karl Marx, MEW 23, 664), which at any time the class of the capitalists can access, if it needs it. This thesis says only that the unemployed persons are used - them state however nothing over the necessary or actual height of unemployment.

The competition of the capitalists among themselves forces the individual employer to increase its productivity. Machines, technical progress and rationalization in the work sector make that for him possible. The smaller increase of consumption lowers the active volume. From an uneven distribution an increase of unemployment follows the lowering of the active volume.

In capitalism also a "population of worker over" (K. Marx) is, a population of surplus (the unemployed persons), systems-inherent, because the contradiction in capitalism that the capitalist needs as much as possible workers, in order as much as possible to produce (constant access to workers to thus have must) and if possible few workers to adjust at the same time must, in order to produce as cheaply as possible, makes this necessary: "It lies in the nature of the capital to revise a part of the population of worker and another become impoverished." (K. Marx, Theorien about the increase in value, MEW 26,3, 300)

Starting points for the fight of unemployment

Unemployment relating to market conditions

Unemployment relating to market conditions is caused by a temporary lack of demand during recessions. In order to avoid such situations, the policy tried to adjust the demand loss by national expenditure programs in the context of a keynesianischen anticyclical fiscal policy. This beginning failed in the seventies however among other things because of the fact that the politicians were not able to terminate the expenditure programs if the situation relating to market conditions improved again. If the Grundproblem lay in the too small flexibility of the job market, then expenditure programs were also not cause adequate. In the European countries in the long run only the national indebtedness rose by the national expenditure politics, without diesens the situation on the job market improved. The experiences are somewhat more positive in the USA, where the job market is altogether more flexible and shows therefore expenditure programs stronger effect with the occupation.

Besides it must be considered that the Keynesianismus in situations with demand loss, as it arose approximately at black Friday in the year 1929 has quite its authorization. However rather if the offer side is responsible for unemployment, as with to high taxes and wages, then the expansion of the national demands would be counter productive. This effect is to be observed for the 1970er years also in Germany. Since that time unemployment constantly rises.

The Beveridge curve gives further information on the causes of unemployment.

Structural unemployment

Macro-economic beginnings

Measures for the fight of unemployment are to set at their causes. As far as wages are rigide, the idea found large spreading since the fifties of the last century that a higher inflation could help to lower unemployment. If the wages rise more slowly than the inflation rate, it would continue to come to nominal wage increases, but to a real wages decrease, with which the was dissolved (so-called Phillips curve). (Quotation of Helmut Schmidt and of Bruno Kreisky in the middle of the seventies: "Dear one five per cent of inflation as five per cent of unemployment"). However such a policy did not work, among other things because wages are partially also material rigide, since the trade unions consider the inflation rate with their wage demands.

One tried long time to fight unemployment by reducing the Potenzial at workers (the Erwerbspersonenpotenzial), e.g. by an extension of the school time (happen in such a way in Germany in the seventies), early retirement and Vorruhestand, as well as - e.g. in the Netherlands - a generous regulation with the disablement. These measures proved in the long term however as too expensive, since early pensioners and invalids from the social insurances are paid, which finance themselves by contributions of the employees. A further starting point was the promotion of part-time work.

Active labor policy

"§ SGB III the active work promotion defines 3 (4) as all achievements of the work promotion with exception of unemployment pay with unemployment, partial unemployment pay and insolvency money. In addition all measures, which the BA undertakes, in order to bring humans back in work, e.g. belong like switching, measures for further education (FbW), training measures (TM) and work-providing measures (ABM). Thus unemployment is to be reduced in particular by a higher or more strongly inquired qualification.

After into the 1970er years and after the reunification the active labor policy is constantly expanded in particular, its success is meanwhile disputed. It was reduced last clearly therefore. The basic idea of the active labor policy is strictly speaking continued to lead however in the context of the Hartz iv-reorganizations similarly (e.g. in euro-jobs so mentioned, "promoting and demanding" etc.).

Dismantling of wage

At present discussed prescriptions to the dismantling of (necessity, agreed to pay wages) are:

• Opening clauses in collective agreements, which permit lower wages than intended in the collective agreement with difficulties of the enterprise or for competition problems. Different collective agreements of the recent time contain such clauses, which permit some from the surface collective agreement.
• Smaller wage compensations (i.e. unemployed person and social welfare assistance) for unemployed persons, so that the admission of a small paid activity is worthwhile itself (spacer requirement). The low wages are often subsidized with a fiscal promotion, as e.g. with the mini jobs and the Midijobs.
• Larger flexibility of the work time, with with worse and extensions with good situation concerning orders. This would prevent dismissals in the wing over.
• Dismantling e.g. a protection against dismissal and simplified possibilities weakened by job market adjustments, limited work contracts to lock.
• Smaller wages in the training phase or Probezeit.

Behind the thought to lower the wages and salaries the conception that existing jobs were not occupied because of too little existing means and that there is need at jobs in principle, stands those due to the necessity to pay agreed upon wages but was not furnished. On the point to be brought also with the so-called it gives such considerations according to which wage moderation leads what to higher profits (G), which energize again the investment activity (I), more jobs, more occupation (B) creates.

The Weitzman plan offers starting points for fight.

In the meantime elements of the Hartz concept in the professional world were partly questioned to the restaurant ways, so by Bert which determines a competition of the mini jobs to conventional jobs.

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