You got me thinking back to my time in China. While I was working in China I noticed an enormous number of people employed to sweep the streets. They were employed in town, they were employed on the freeways between towns. I traveled about an hour's taxi ride from the city I was working in to Beijing and all along the freeway, at regular intervals, there were bikes parked and nearby was a person employed to sweep the freeway.
I commented on this to the Aussie expats who were stationed in China and it was pointed out that Chin has full employment and it must have full employment. The government cannot afford 10% of 1.4 billion people to be out of work. Can you imagine the uprising of 140 Million hungry, out of work people. We're talking revolution!
The government know very well the value of having the population employed and contented. If we can contribute in our small way to the employment of the considerable masses, rather than installing automation at the expense of employing locals, it will be recognised and valued.
I am going back a bit in time but this was definitely the situation while I was there. Anyone with more recent experience?
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