When “Unemployment become a big Word”. Villagers confused on what’s the meaning of unemployed.

22 April 2020
Gilbert Moela
Monametse Village

After the president’s announced that there will be a social relief fund for the unemployed, villages in the rural mining affected community of Monametse in Fetakgomo-tubatse Local Municipality found themselves between crossroads. Most villages’ especially unemployed men around the village are still not aware if the term “unemployed” also refers to them. In an informal conversation held by a group of men with an aim of unpacking the term, which led to two groups arguing their points on what the term means.

It emerged that some of them understand the term Unemployed referring to unemployed people who are registered with the department of labour and are known to be actively searching for employment whilst on the other hand the other group argued that unemployed means everyone who’s not working despite whether they’re actively looking for unemployment or not. Within the groups there was one guy who said “Economics define an unemployment person as “a person who is actively searching for employment but is unable to find work…”

Example, l am not working and not searching for work, therefore in economics i am not unemployed.