What more, this seems to be the right time to look at unemployment benefits.
I have made some simplistic analysis of the entire thing and looked at unemployed and those who are married or where the best information was available and converted them to US dollars to make comparison easier.
Ireland - USD 1100 / month (increases with dependents)
Sweden - USD 1220 / month (after taxes)
England - USD 540 / month
New Zealand - USD 400 /month
Australia - USD 577 / month
US seemed to be pretty complicated, so have not included in this.
Most of these benefits range for atleast 6 months.
Though they are strictly not comparable, the basic idea is to give an idea on how developed countries have established social security net for individuals. In India, while there is Rural employment guarantee scheme, the rest are pretty much left in the lurch.
Wonder when we can have such a benefit. It is going to raise the cost of salary (more taxes) and also will result in more delay in employing anyone as unemployed will not mind waiting for more time to get a better job and this disconnect will raise the cost for the employer as hiring is going to take time and employers will have to raise salary to attract employees.
Surely, it is not going to be easy. First, we need more employees in the tax net to ensure that we can have the scheme going. Almost most of these schemes are driven from employers who charge the insurance cost from the employees salary (~6% in the US). A sizeable employee benefit will ensure that success is attained.
It is only a dream from my side that India can ever have one even in the next decade.
March 22, 2009
Fiction, at last - Jeffrey Archer
Fiction, at last...and a good one. The latest book of Jeffrey Archer : Paths of Glory. Having not read that many fiction books in the past year, this book comes as a welcome change.
It is not a typical book of Jeffrey Archer. There are no two people fighting to become the best in their chosen careers but one person fighting with a mountain. However, the desire to be the best, the success etc etc is something that we regularly see from any of his books. There is no suspense in the book which was disappointing. The prologue makes it quite clear that the author is not interested in laying down any suspense.
Normally, I do not read any reviews of a fiction book as I normally follow few authors and would read it despite it being a bad book. A bad review can slow my pace of reading a book, which is something I do not like. This time, I did read the review of the book as the book did not look like fiction by any chance. It turned out to be true. This is a true story of the protagonist reaching Mt. Everest first. The book has raised a few brows atleast as it looks like the author is hell bent in proving that the first to reach Everest was an Englishman. However, during the course of the book, the author clearly mentions a few facts like success of any mountain climbing is not only reaching the top but also to come down.
Anyways, there was a few interesting comments in the book. There was a question asked, "Why do you want to climb the Everest". The reply to it..."Because it is there"... One of the best replies I have heard. Sometimes I find it hard when people ask the question, "what makes a person tick?". Maybe this is a good answer to give. There was an interesting comment which was made by the wife of deceased Captain Scott (lost his life reaching South Pole)... I would rather spend two years with one of the most exciting men on Earth, than forty with someone who thought I had prevented him from fulfilling his dream" These may sound like typical bollywood / hollywood statements, but is definetely good in the backdrop under which they were made.
Read the book, one should be able to complete in about one full Sunday.
It is not a typical book of Jeffrey Archer. There are no two people fighting to become the best in their chosen careers but one person fighting with a mountain. However, the desire to be the best, the success etc etc is something that we regularly see from any of his books. There is no suspense in the book which was disappointing. The prologue makes it quite clear that the author is not interested in laying down any suspense.
Normally, I do not read any reviews of a fiction book as I normally follow few authors and would read it despite it being a bad book. A bad review can slow my pace of reading a book, which is something I do not like. This time, I did read the review of the book as the book did not look like fiction by any chance. It turned out to be true. This is a true story of the protagonist reaching Mt. Everest first. The book has raised a few brows atleast as it looks like the author is hell bent in proving that the first to reach Everest was an Englishman. However, during the course of the book, the author clearly mentions a few facts like success of any mountain climbing is not only reaching the top but also to come down.
Anyways, there was a few interesting comments in the book. There was a question asked, "Why do you want to climb the Everest". The reply to it..."Because it is there"... One of the best replies I have heard. Sometimes I find it hard when people ask the question, "what makes a person tick?". Maybe this is a good answer to give. There was an interesting comment which was made by the wife of deceased Captain Scott (lost his life reaching South Pole)... I would rather spend two years with one of the most exciting men on Earth, than forty with someone who thought I had prevented him from fulfilling his dream" These may sound like typical bollywood / hollywood statements, but is definetely good in the backdrop under which they were made.
Read the book, one should be able to complete in about one full Sunday.
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