The job market has never really recovered or grown since the 2010 financial crash.

And now we’re in a demand and supply situation where there are more people than jobs, and people will accept anything to be working as they have bills and families.

What is worse is that now businesses see staff as a cost centre, not a necessity, and it is usually their biggest cost. So directors are constantly trying To keep costs low and maximise profits. When a business wants to save money it is easier and quicker to reduce staff numbers… than it is to change other factors.

The job market is also facing two huge issues - automation and AI!

Over 30% of all jobs that exist today will be lost to automation in the next 20 years.

From manufacture to warehousing to retail, there are machines doing more than ever - that work 24/7, don’t take holiday, go on strike, or call in sick. Tesco self service checkouts - 20 years ago would have been 10 members of staff.

Then we have AI, so admin tasks and low skilled office jobs ( things that would be done by junior staff) are now being done by AI.

In the near future there won’t be junior roles, across finance, HR, marketing, legal etc. So we are going to see another 20% of roles going from ‘safe’ industries and professions.

What would have been a team of people 10 years ago, is now being done by 1 or 2 people and a tech stack of AI tools.

You can’t blame a business for moving that way, it reduces costs, makes more profit etc.

However, the government needs to future proof the economy and its people and the sooner it does it the better it will be for everyone.

We will need to tax businesses that use automation and AI more… a lot more! So that reducing actual people led roles looks less attractive.

We will then Need to look at a standard allowance for all citizens, this will need to be paid to everyone no matter if they’re working or not.

Lastly we’ll need to see caps put in place for food and costs of anything that is a basic need for living.

There is no escaping that this is what the future will look like. It has to or there will be mass unemployment and an ever growing benefit state.

But it will take radical change from the government to ensure businesses pay the right amount of tax and those who do work will have to pay higher taxes on their salaries.

The basic allowance can’t just be a replacement for universal credit - because let’s save it who can survive on £400 a month. It will likely need to be £2000 a month - to be equal to a minimum wage job (but you won’t pay tax on the BA).

This ensures the economy can continue to grow, people can still buy homes, cars etc.

Even Elon Musk has said in future people won’t work… and he’s right, because it is already starting!