Work gives a person a sense of importance, and the degree of importance is defined by comparison with the work of others. Workers are entitled to greater social recognition than non-workers.
Workers contribute to society's projects, pay income tax and participate in societal programs.
Non-workers are excluded because they do not participate in the same way and often must depend on programs such as social assistance, which are costly and generally unpopular among workers. This exclusion is felt even more deeply by those who are already marginalized by society because they have committed a criminal offence. These labels combine to place them very low on society's scale of usefulness and social desirability, making it that much tougher for them to make positive changes in their lives. The term employability is frequently used in the context of vocational assessment to describe an individual's ability to find, adapt to and keep a job. In our society, employability is of the utmost importance.