Today’s news of September’s employment numbers have analysts optimistic about the future of our economy. But unemployment remains unchanged at a staggering 9.1%. And President Obama’s jobs bill has seen better weeks.

So what does all this mean for those without a job? Well, the obvious financial implications take precedent, but Loyola University Professor Al Gini believes that our job crisis is much more than dollars and cents, but it is core to our identity as a people.

Professor Gini has been a fixture at WBEZ for almost 20 years. Gini was a contributor to WBEZ programs Artistic License, Metropolis and most notably, Eight Forty-Eight. Gini is a professor of business ethics and chair of the department of management at Loyola University Chicago. He is also the cofounder and associate editor of Business Ethics Quarterly, and the author of several books, including Seeking The Truth of Things.

Al has teamed up with the Loyola University Chicago multimedia production team to produce short video pieces about philosophical and ethical issues in today’s news. We are proud to partner with the school to bring you the commentaries.

So here is Professor Al Gini (our resident philosopher) on jobs and identity in a new segment we call “Ethics Moment.”