Secure Full Employment:
In the current economic system economic growth (ie increasing production and consumption) is relied upon to maintain or increase job opportunities. In a steady state economy it would not be possible to increase production and consumption if this resulted in an increase in resource use and waste emissions. All else being equal with less production there would be less work to be done in the economy which would result in rising unemployment unless new policies were adopted to prevent this from happening.
How? Instead of using technological progress to produce more goods and services (as we tend to do today) we should use it to increase leisure time by gradually shortening the paid working day week year and career. Individuals should be
given the freedom to adjust their working patterns to their preferences while support and incentives should be offered to encourage an overall reduction in working time. The gradual reduction of working time would help keep unemployment low by distributing available work more equally. If unemployment were still a concern in the transition to a steady state economy the government could act as “employer of last resort” and guarantee jobs in the same way that it guarantees primary education and medical care.