Jobs are a cost, not a benefit

It seems ridiculous that it’s necessary to make such a basic and obvious economic point - jobs are a cost of doing something, not a benefit of the thing being done. But sadly it is indeed necessary to point this out:

A clean power system by 2030 will lay the foundations of the drive to net zero, but it will also unleash waves of dynamism and industry across our country with a million well-paid jobs in the renewable and nuclear industries, built on strong trade unions.

A clean power system may or may not be a good idea. Judge that as you wish. But human labour is a scarce economic resource. If we use more of it to achieve one particular goal then we have less of it to master any other problem that may face us.

Jobs are therefore a cost of doing something, not a benefit.

It could be true that the jobs building a clean power system are the best allocation of that limited labour at our disposal. Judge that as you wish. But it is still true that the human labour - those jobs - are a cost of doing this thing, not a benefit.

All of which does give us an interesting insight into what’s wrong with the modern economy, doesn’t it? A substantial portion of those who would run it are ignorant of the most basic economic precepts. They’re touting jobs, costs, as a benefit of doing a thing. Really, catching up with the most basic ideas within economics would be a useful start to building economic plans.

Jobs are a cost, not a benefit.