---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it's much more important to keep…"
description: "\"I think it's much more important to keep people in work than have pay rises.\" — Ken Livingstone"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png"
---

#  I think it's much more important to keep people in work…

![“I think it's much more important to keep people in work than have pay rises.” quote by Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png)

> “I think it's much more important to keep people in work than have pay rises.”

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Prioritizes job security over wage increases, emphasizing employment stability.

**In simple terms:** Keeping jobs matters more than higher pay.

Key Takeaway

Support policies that protect employment.

Themes

employment economics policy

Mood

analytical pragmatic

Type

political economic

When to use this quote

- government budgeting
- union negotiations
- career counseling
- economic planning

Key Concepts

labor market wage dynamics social welfare

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the long‑term effects of job security vs. pay raises?
- How can both be balanced?

A Different Perspective

Higher wages can also boost morale and productivity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay Rises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-rises-4543021/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-work/) [Think Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-important/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Work Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-pay-293963/)

## Related quotes

> [I'd be happy just to do theatre work but it can't pay the bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-fox/i-d-be-happy-just-to-do-theatre-work-but-it-can-t-pay-the-bills/)

[Phoebe Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-fox/)

> [To have all my hard work pay off is amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/to-have-all-my-hard-work-pay-off-is-amazing/)

[Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/)

> [“I get so sick of people asking me, “Do you work?” Of course I work! I’ve got five children under ten—I work twenty four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-get-so-sick-of-people-asking-me-do-you-work-of-course-i-work-i-ve/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometime I ask myself, Will all this hard work pay off?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-velasquez/sometime-i-ask-myself-will-all-this-hard-work-pay-off/)

[Joy Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-velasquez/)

> [All work and no pay makes a housewife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/all-work-and-no-pay-makes-a-housewife/)

[Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/)

> [Which of us?is to do the hard and dirty work for the restand for what pay? Who is to do the pleasant and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/which-of-us-is-to-do-the-hard-and-dirty-work-for-the-restand-for-what/)

[John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/)

> [I went back to work because someone had to pay for the groceries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-davis/i-went-back-to-work-because-someone-had-to-pay-for-the-groceries/)

[Bette Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-davis/)

> [I've always had to work to pay my bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-matthews/i-ve-always-had-to-work-to-pay-my-bills/)

[Spencer Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-matthews/)

> [My parents got to see all my hard work pay off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-porsha-renae/my-parents-got-to-see-all-my-hard-work-pay-off/)

[La'Porsha Renae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-porsha-renae/)

> [I understand going to work so I can pay my bills and I've got a lot of bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-holland/i-understand-going-to-work-so-i-can-pay-my-bills-and-i-ve-got-a-lot/)

[Kevin Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-holland/)

> [A day's pay for a day's work is more than adequate when both the work and the pay are appreciated as much as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cullen-hightower/a-day-s-pay-for-a-day-s-work-is-more-than-adequate-when-both-the-work/)

[Cullen Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cullen-hightower/)

> [But I don't work out. I pay people to do that for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goulet/but-i-don-t-work-out-i-pay-people-to-do-that-for-me/)

[Robert Goulet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goulet/)

> [I want to be paid for my work, not work for my pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-want-to-be-paid-for-my-work-not-work-for-my-pay/)

[Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/)

> [“A gentleman does not openly work for pay, does he?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-gardner/a-gentleman-does-not-openly-work-for-pay-does-he/)

[Ashley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-gardner/)

> [I learnt to read when I was five, and I think that is the most important thing that happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-learnt-to-read-when-i-was-five-and-i-think-that-is-the-most/)

[Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/)

## More by Ken Livingstone

> [Everyone changes all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/everyone-changes-all-the-time/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [I am not against Israel, I am against Zionists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-am-not-against-israel-i-am-against-zionists/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [I don't just denounce suicide bombers. I denounce those governments which use indiscriminate slaughter to advance their foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-don-t-just-denounce-suicide-bombers-i-denounce-those-governments/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [The press keep asking me, 'What was your biggest mistake?' But if I had made a big mistake, they'd all be writing about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/the-press-keep-asking-me-what-was-your-biggest-mistake-but-if-i-had/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [One thing that Chairman Mao did was to end the appalling foot binding of women. That alone justifies the Mao Tse-tung era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/one-thing-that-chairman-mao-did-was-to-end-the-appalling-foot-binding/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [I Kenneth Robert Livingstone, having been elected to the office of mayor of London, declare that I take that office upon myself, and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-kenneth-robert-livingstone-having-been-elected-to-the-office-of/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [The whole culture of my background was deeply Conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/the-whole-culture-of-my-background-was-deeply-conservative/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [If I blew my nose the Daily Express and the Daily Mail would say that I am trying to spread germ warfare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/if-i-blew-my-nose-the-daily-express-and-the-daily-mail-would-say-that/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [When you see someone trying to manoeuvre it round the school gates, you have to think, 'You are a complete idiot.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/when-you-see-someone-trying-to-manoeuvre-it-round-the-school-gates/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [Anybody who enjoys being in the House of Commons probably needs psychiatric help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/anybody-who-enjoys-being-in-the-house-of-commons-probably-needs/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [I'm more interested in politicians who deal with human rights in their own country rather than lecture the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-m-more-interested-in-politicians-who-deal-with-human-rights-in/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [We look to the left and to the right And we need help but nobody's in sight Where is the man that we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/we-look-to-the-left-and-to-the-right-and-we-need-help-but-nobody-s-in/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [If I was courting the Muslim vote, I wouldn't have put establishing the partnership ceremony at the forefront of my first term, would I?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/if-i-was-courting-the-muslim-vote-i-wouldn-t-have-put-establishing/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [World wide capitalism kills more people everyday then Hitler did. And he was crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/world-wide-capitalism-kills-more-people-everyday-then-hitler-did-and/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [I liked it when we had ugly politicians who droned on about issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-liked-it-when-we-had-ugly-politicians-who-droned-on-about-issues/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

[Explore all 132 Ken Livingstone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

## More Important quotes

> [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/)

[Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/)

> [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/)

[Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/)

> [Fiscal prudence is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smriti-irani/fiscal-prudence-is-very-important/)

[Smriti Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smriti-irani/)

> [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/)

[Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/)

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/)

[John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [If I had learned how to get along in the quotidian world while keeping up the search for the hidden realm, I might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/if-i-had-learned-how-to-get-along-in-the-quotidian-world-while/)

[Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/)

> [Modeling is more important than the talking we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-williams/modeling-is-more-important-than-the-talking-we-do/)

[Wayne Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-williams/)

> [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/)

[Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/)

> [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/)

[Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/)

> [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/)

[Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/)

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 30,993 Important quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think it's much more important to keep people in work than have pay rises.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ken Livingstone"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep-people-in-work-than-have-pay/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Important"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep-people-in-work-than-have-pay/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/ken-livingstone-3381_important_i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep_544035.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think it's much more important to keep people in work than have pay rises.” — Ken Livingstone",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ken Livingstone",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think it's much more important...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep-people-in-work-than-have-pay/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-it-s-much-more-important-to-keep-people-in-work-than-have-pay/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
