Advances in technology have eliminated or drastically changed many of the jobs these people have, and there is no end in sight. As a result, there is no economic opportunity for many of them. In modern society, that leaves few options. While many suicides can be attributed to mental illness or depression, an increasing number of them fall within the definition of "rational suicide".
Fewer people can now serve the needs of far more people than ever before possible. For example, we are rapidly approaching the day when humans will no longer be involved in many forms of construction, and most of those jobs won't be replaced in any other field. Millions of manual labor jobs worldwide can be replaced by a relatively small number of engineers in a single location working to automate those tasks. As our world catapults toward this reality, unemployment and the resulting suicide rate can only increase.
Fewer people can now serve the needs of far more people than ever before possible. For example, we are rapidly approaching the day when humans will no longer be involved in many forms of construction, and most of those jobs won't be replaced in any other field. Millions of manual labor jobs worldwide can be replaced by a relatively small number of engineers in a single location working to automate those tasks. As our world catapults toward this reality, unemployment and the resulting suicide rate can only increase.