Reader’s Opinion | Where’s the problem when a man is good for nothing?

I am an engineer enjoying a large unemployment benefit. My unemployment has been going on for longer, and there is no end in sight. The industry in my field of expertise is declining, and there are no jobs to apply for. Sending open job applications does not produce results.

At the beginning of August, I abandoned my dreams of getting a job in my field and started looking for other jobs. I thought I would get a job very quickly: I’m not picky when it comes to work, and I have almost three decades of work history. In addition to a university degree, there are skills and degrees in the fields of electricity, logistics and management.

Over the course of more than a month, I have sent dozens of excellent job applications for so-called Duna jobs without success. For example, I applied for a job as a small machine repairman through an employment agency, which did not require much training or experience. It was enough to have a small understanding of technology, a safety card and an eagerness to learn. The salary was in line with the skill requirements. No contact whatsoever.

My information can be found as open applications in the register of several employment agencies, but nothing has been heard from them either. Where’s the problem when a man is good for nothing? Does the idea that you can’t get good for cheap also work in the job market? Are you afraid to hire an engineer for the work to be done?

Some of the jobs I applied for have been applied for again, including machine repairman’s job. So the problem seems to be more on the employer’s side than the applicant’s. My earnings-related allowance won’t run out for a while, but I believe in the government’s employment policy. The gradation of the benefit, which came into effect at the beginning of September, should motivate people to apply for low-paying jobs. Goofy, I say.

Pekka Aaltonen

Tampere

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