Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?

Nobody is a stranger to the fact that unemployment is one of the vital issues facing developed countries these days. To my way of thinking, there are both pros and cons in equal measure to

this

initiative. There is no shortage of reasons, why, as far as I can see, there are benefits to

this

proposal. In the

first

place, it improves workers' health conditions if they only work 35 hours a week.

This

means less stress for employees. On top of that, reducing working hours can create more jobs for others.

For instance

, if a factory cuts down the usual working hours from 40 to 35, they may have to hire additional people to keep up their production level at the same as before.

Accordingly

, factories and organisations can take on new staff.

For example

, a 24-hour convenient store needs to ensure they have enough workers o cover their shifts days and nights. Having said that,

however

, the downside of

this

proposal, as far as I am concerned, is no less significant. The problem that springs immediately to mind is that operation costs get higher compare to the past. If a company was forced to hire more workers to produce the same amount of goods,

then

its wages would rise and its product might cost more to make it.

This

could put a company in a disadvantaged situation, especially if they are in a high price-sensitive industry.

For example

, in fast food in western countries, many customers are low-income groups. In my own experience, the way things are when it comes to

this

issue in my country, China, bears a strong resemblance to the state of affairs the world over. My home city of Nanjing is a textbook example in

this

regard. Here, competition for jobs is much fierce due to the large population. Many young people find it very hard to get jobs. The government provides tax cuts to the companies

as a result

of hiring more people. When all is said and done, there are merits and drawbacks to the same degree to every choice we make, both as individuals and as a society.

This

matter is no exception to that rule.