Is unemployment the root cause of poverty?

When we think of poverty, it is really easy to look at and blame unemployment. I mean, no job doesn’t equate to no income, and hence, no income equals poverty, right? Actually, while unemployment is a prime contributor, it is very far from the root of all poverty.

Yes, it is true that unemployment usually makes people suffer from a lack of resources. Those who do not have a stable job hardly have access to basic necessities, including food, health facilities, and shelter. However, its not just unemployment. Poverty might be caused by a web of linked causes such as illiteracy or a lack of proper education, racialism, disease, and the lack of needed services. People out of work share many of those challenges in addition to their unemployment.

Take, for example, a person who grew up in a less privileged school system, dropped out from school, no proper educational qualifications may sometimes struggle to find stable, well-paying work.

Also, individuals with chronic health conditions and people living with disabilities may also struggle to sustain consistent employment. Poverty, in these cases, is not simply about the lack of job opportunities but rather a lack of avenues, resources, and support toward changing this condition.

Another important factor here is structural inequalities that are embedded in the very social structure. In some areas, discrimination based on gender, race, or socioeconomic status might bar them from employment opportunities. In such cases, unemployment would indeed be a symptom, not the cause.

Of course, while being extremely important, unemployment is not the entire cause of poverty. For any meaningful combat against poverty, it will have to be multi-dimensional, addressing education, health, systemic inequalities, and job creation. We should not simplify poverty as a factor, since it is a result of many different causes and addressing them all simultaneously is what gives us our long-lasting solutions.