Do you have an alternative to having people work...?

Welfare.

All governments have not been remiss in thinking of the best way to handle their respective economies to establish social order. But most of them failed because they forget that social order is not defined by the means of the government but the accrued income of the people living in the jurisprudence of such government.

Social order is achieved if every family has enough income to meet the needs of all its members. Otherwise, if employment is unavailable and there is no other means to produce money for the needs of the family, then usually they resort to illegal means. This will block social order.

But anyway, to answer your question: I suggest that governments should focus on increasing the rate of employment and make the prices of basic commodities within the reach of the masses. Health benefits should be readily given to the public and education should be made available not only to those who can afford but to poor but deserving students through scholarship grants.

Civic Currency . Money made by citizens for citizens.