Unemployment

Unemployment is the biggest problem facing Zurithe's economy in the present administration. This is moslty due to the explosion of Artificial Intelligence in recent years and the reduction of regulations by the conservative party. On top of unemployment is the problem of underemployment. This is when people are overqualified for the job they have: this usually takes place when there are few job openings within a specific industry or field but someone has a degree in that field. The DSZ is committed to tackling unemployment and underemployment in its current term. Currently, unemployment is at 35% which is an all time high.

One of the ways that the DSZ is tackling unemployment and underemployment is with a government jobs program. Since the DSZ took power it has created many new positions in the civil service to address pressing issues facing the nation-state. One of the first hiring pushes was for the invasive plants removal program. This offered employment for manual labor to uproot weeds and invasive plant species that were harming Zurithean crops. More recently, after facing an e coli outbreak, the DSZ began hiring more health inspectors for food and water. This addressed underemployment of medical or biological degrees. The government has also begun hiring for the new Office of Employment under the Ministry of Work and Welfare. This office includes economic and political analysts as well as public career coaches and skill/software trainers. This allows Zurithean workers to be trained and supported when looking for jobs. It also allows for new innovation in employment policy.

The government has also rejected the reduction in public employment due to Artificial Intelligence. The process of sorting mail in the post office and digitizing records has been done entirely by hand. Political officials (especially Democratic Socialists) have resolved not to answer citizen inquiries by AI. This means employing more assistants to handle the large volume of mail. Paid and unpaid internships are being opened up in every sector of the government so that anyone from scientists to business people get on the job training and experience for future openings. Public employment has increased significantly under the DSZ. However that also means that the government budget has increased significantly. The DSZ has taken on more public debt. But to its credit the DSZ is also working on balancing the budget and revolutionizing the tax code to fund these programs.

The government has begun introducing tax incentives for job growths. It has offered grants for small businesses to expand and offered reduced taxes for companies which hire more unskilled labor and workers from underemployed fields. More tax credits are offered for businesses which sponsor local job fairs. All these tax incentives are capped at a certain amount though to prevent from corporate abuse. In addition to incentives (carrots) the government has implemented punishment (sticks) for certain practices. Businesses experiencing profit margins are fined for massive layoffs for example. The government is always thinking of how to protect employment and prevent unemployment.

The DSZ government has also limited self checkouts in grocery stores due to how it kills jobs. Other restrictions on automation have been proposed: some have been introduced but it has been an uphill battle for the DSZ. Another policy it has implemented is employment gap forgiveness. This means that it is illegal for companies to ask candidates about gaps in employment or consider employment gaps in hiring decisions. It is considered a form of discrimination. This is due to the unemployment and underemployment crisis. Residents may file complaints with the Office of Fair Employment under the Ministry of Civil Rights and Liberties.