It Is Not "The Company's" Responsibility To Ensure You Have A Job.

By TLS

I see this one come up from time to time, usually on the news or some similar source. The typical theme? A group of people are protesting that their jobs no longer exist or are no longer needed. They also usually blame the company.

Ok, I fully understand I am preaching from a bit of a secure personal position. I get that, but that doesn’t mean my argument is wrong.

So, what is my argument? Simply put; it is an individuals responsibility to obtain and maintain employment. Side note, yes, it is to societies best interest to have a well employed population. As a result there are plenty of work and labor retraining programs and options out there. And that’s a good thing.

However, a company’s main purpose is not to simply employ but to be profitable, and stay in business. If it is not profitable it goes out of business.

So, let’s start getting into the unpleasant facts. Jobs that need people are only going to decrease over time. Conversely, the number of people around is likely only going to increase over time. Anyone see a problem here?

Back to my point; jobs disappear, markets dry up, once-needed items are no longer needed, manufacturing processes improve, etc, etc, etc. The complaint I usually hear is “I need my job back.” The often overlooked problem there though is the job is no longer needed in that market. Meaning there is no longer a need for that job. Arguing for that job back is a waste of time, money, and resources.

In a high skilled position, this can be devastating to the person or group of people affected. Retraining into a different, but similar level, position may or may not be a realistic option. Low-skilled positions come with their own re-employment problems. While it may be easier to go from one low-skilled job to another, there are also far more people competing for those low-skilled jobs.

I think this is another one of my recurring themes: Individual responsibility. As technology and AI capability increase, entire categories of jobs will be eliminated. This is a very unpleasant reality that is not going to change any time soon.

Arguing for a job back that no longer has a market is pointless. I do not remember anyone ever telling me I would always be able to have the job I wanted. Jobs will continue to disappear, people will be forced to do something different whether it be better or worse.

It is primarily up to each of us to ensure we can support ourselves and our families. This is a hard, difficult, dangerous life with no guarantee of success or happiness. If one is not diligent and determined, there is also a high likelihood of failure.

The future won’t wait for us to catch up. Jobs will vanish, markets will shift, and technology will outpace expectations. The only real safety net is your ability to stay employable. So invest in your skills, sharpen your adaptability, and prepare for change. No one else is going to do it for you. Stay diligent. Stay determined. Stay employable.