J. Hobson 
The Problem of the Unemployed (Routledge Revivals) [PDF ebook] 
An Enquiry and an Economic Policy

First published in 1896, this seminal work considers the Question of the Unemployed at the height of imperialist capitalism. Hobson proposes a controversial theory of social progress, which argues that unemployment is a natural and necessary result of the mal-distribution of consumption power. In a comprehensive assessment of the practicalities of capitalism, The Problem of the Unemployed considers the root causes and meaning of unemployment and possible solutions to the issue.