From Labour- to Human-Oriented Views: Shifting Paradigm of Unemployment in al-Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun (1332-1405 AD)

The progressive view of Ibn Khaldun (1332-1405 AD) is manifested in his work al-Muqaddimah, which offers an alternative view of unemployment. This article redefines unemployment by referring to Ibn Khaldun's thoughts on economics, shifting from the current concepts offered by the modern economic systems. The main source of this study is Kitab al-Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun. The relevant themes emanating from the comprehensive ideas of Ibn Khaldun are analysed textually and contextually. The study shows that the starting point for evaluating unemployment lies in its definition. It is viewed as a loss of work motivation (entrepreneur-oriented) in various business fields. Meanwhile, Ibn Khaldun in al-Muqaddimah views unemployment as a problem of civilisation in a broader sense, not just a nominally qualifiable labour-oriented problem. This view is different from that of the modern economists asserting that unemployment is a forced choice (involuntary unemployment) due to job unavailability. This reconceptualisation enriches the Islamic economics literature, which is still limited regarding the concept of unemployment. For policymakers, this reconceptualisation can be considered for establishing effective and comprehensive strategies to overcome unemployment problems.