Nowadays, the competition for jobs is getting tougher and more challenging, and many people suffer dire consequences for not being able to make ends meet. Unemployment is now one of the most significant social issues that are deteriorating the quality of life of many. However, the creation of jobs for the masses proves to be a complex problem to solve because of
Reasons for Unemployment
Industrialization and Automation
Now that we live in the machine age, there is hardly anything that a computer or a robot cannot do. Even if there is something, humans are already in the process of designing robots that will take care of it in the future.
There’s no denying that machines are not only more precise but also much more efficient than humans in most tasks and also save time and money. Once you buy them, they can work non-stop, need no breaks, require no training, and get the work done as fast as possible.
Keeping this in mind, it’s really no wonder that in almost every field of labor, one or more kinds of machines have started taking over and dominating the market.
On the bright side of this, these machines have made life much more convenient and comfortable for their owners. Since the advent of time, humans have strived to make their lives easier and will continue to strive for it, and given that machines help with that, there is no denying that we will see more and more of them take over our industries, labor forces, homes, schools, offices, and much more.
However, there is a downside to this. Since robots and machines are now filling up positions that people previously filled, many people are losing their jobs. Millions of people have been fired, replaced by robots, and rendered unemployed and income less. Most of these people have families to feed and take care of, bills to pay, and houses to maintain. Given that they are unable to make ends meet anymore, all this becomes a big struggle.
Growing Population
Overpopulation is a persistent and steadily growing social problem that will result in dire situations if not dealt with soon.
Due to a lack of education and family planning, the human population has been growing at an alarming rate. Supplying homes, resources, and jobs at the speed that the population is growing is unfortunately not possible.
This means that there are simply not enough jobs for the people, and this leads to many families suffering.
Living with Unemployment
Living with unemployment is even more challenging now than it was before. With the price of everything being so high and the competition for resources being so harsh, comfortable life is a luxury only awarded to the best of the best and hence is not something that is available to many.
Especially in countries like Singapore, where the cost of living is 27% higher than even the US, living with no job is sooner or later a death sentence.
This is why the creation of jobs and employment opportunities should be one of the top priorities of the government to instill a better standard of living for the masses and not just the 1%
Online Grocery Shopping In Singapore: A Source of Jobs
Following the theme of digitization, there is now a way to do online grocery shopping in Singapore as well. Pursuing this trend to be on par with their competitors, many grocery stores have now also started an online version where you can order groceries on your phone from an app and have them delivered to your house in little to no time.
The pandemic and the lockdown, discouraging people from stepping foot outside their doors, only further reinforced this trend, and hence it has now become more robust than ever. In Singapore especially, it is prevalent, and there is a wide variety of various stores online now that sell everything from everyday household items to poultry, dairy, and fresh produce, exotic treats, and imported products; just about anything you could think of, they can provide to your doorstep and often with free delivery to making it very convenient and favorable to use.
But aside from convincing customers, there is something else that online grocery shopping in Singapore does as well: creating job opportunities for the people in the area.
This is done in the following ways.
1. Warehouse Management
For online stores that keep their groceries in warehouses and then deliver them to their customers, warehouse managers need to check the products, their availability, and their quality.
2. Shoppers
These are people who, upon receiving your order, shop for you.
When you go to your phone and submit an order on a supermarket’s respective website or app, it is received by the store and handed to one of the shoppers on standby.
This shopper will pick out each of the grocery items on your list for you and take them to checkout.
3. Packaging Staff
This usually applies to big companies that will be importing your groceries in case you do not shop locally.
A proper packaging staff is needed to make sure that your groceries are handled, packaged, and delivered to the right place.
Often, the groceries contain delicate or fragile foods and can be ruined if not taken care of properly. In addition to that, some food also needs refrigeration, and others need to be kept dry under all circumstances. The packaging staff helps to make sure all these conditions are met and that your groceries reach you in pristine condition.
4. Grocery Delivery Staff
These are the people that receive your packaged goods and deliver them to you at your given location.
Once the order has been packaged for you and is ready to be delivered, it is handed over to the delivery van or a rider that will then traverse the city to get to your respective location. With so many people shopping online, grocery delivery in Singapore is a job sought out by many.
Conclusion
Hence although digitization can sometimes be a threat to the jobs and incomes of the common folk, online grocery shopping does quite the opposite and creates more opportunities for people to be employed.