Understanding unemployment: a sociological analysis of systemic challenges and social consequences

Fernando Rea^1*Sheila Rangel¹Rommel Coba¹José Domínguez²

• ¹Universidad Estatal de Bolívar, Guaranda, Ecuador
• ²Universidad Estatal de Bolivar, Guaranda, Ecuador

This article conducts an exhaustive examination of the phenomenon of unemployment from an extensive sociological perspective, emphasizing its structural, cyclical, and multidimensional characteristics. It affirms that unemployment does not solely affect marginalized groups but permeates all social strata and has significant repercussions on social cohesion, mental health, and overall wellbeing. The ramifications of unemployment go beyond the economic realm and influence vital institutions such as family, education, commerce, and even national security, thereby reinforcing its role as a destabilizing element of social fabric. Methodologically, a non-experimental, interconnected quantitative approach based on the analysis of secondary data on national employment, specifically pertaining to February 2025, is adopted. The need for an integrated approach to understanding this phenomenon is emphasized, given its intricate nature that cannot be elucidated from a singular perspective. In this context, a series of sociological theories are incorporated to broaden the analysis. From Karl Marx's point of view, unemployment has a functional purpose within the capitalist framework, acting as a social regulation mechanism. Emile Durkheim, on the other hand, introduces the concept of anomie to explain the social disconnection caused by scarce opportunities. Pierre Bourdieu discusses the notion of capital (economic, social, and symbolic) to elucidate how structural inequalities limit access to employment. Ulrich Beck and Zygmunt Bauman, using contemporary frameworks, highlight job precariousness and unpredictability as characteristics of the risk society and liquid modernity. The discussion approaches unemployment as a multifactorial causal factor in society, linked to inequality, insecurity, and anomie. Ultimately, the article presents a comparative analysis of various theoretical propositions across different temporal contexts, constructing a solid framework that facilitates understanding unemployment as a structural phenomenon deeply rooted in the dynamics of contemporary society.