There is a really good book which has garnered renewed interest during the crisis called 'Bullshit Jobs' by David Graeber. Basically, he exposes the idea that in general, the higher the remuneration, the less useful to society a particular job is. That is to say; we have an economy where managerial feudalism dominates, and the individuals who are paid the least are doing the most important jobs. Not only that; but the higher remunerated people keep making up all sorts of bullshit paperwork to justify their own jobs, as paperwork is a proxy for action and keeps them employed/feeling important. My favourite phrase is the following:
'Health and education are equally hard hit: managers now feel they need to each have their little squadron of assistants, who often have nothing to do, so they end up making up new exotic forms of paperwork for the teachers, doctors, nurses… who thus have ever less time to actually teach or treat or care for anyone.'
He also makes the distinction between what one would call a 'shit' job and the 'bullshit' job. The so called 'shit' job that people refer to - e.g. supermarkets and cleaning jobs, are different in that although people doing these jobs may hate them because of poor conditions etc, they require skill and talent; and without them we would notice a big difference. The 'bullshit' job on the otherh nad, offers no real benefit and basically the people doing these jobs are not only stealing a wage, but making lives difficult for the less well remunerated people.
I've read the book and the argument does have a few flaws. However, looking back on my own experience, I now think how true this all is. The world does not need people who make fancy Powerpoint slides helping themselves to millions, nor those who come up with exotic forms of paperwork to justify their own existence. It needs those doing the essential jobs.
