what is job to eat（食っていける仕事） in Japan?

In Japan, they often ask, "Is that job, or qualification that you can eat?（食っていける）

What does this mean?

"It （食っていける）means a job or qualification that can maintain food expenses for the rest of their life. If you take it a little broader, it means a job or qualification that allows you to live a life without any inconvenience.

In Japan, this expression is often used when looking for a job or obtaining a qualification.

To be honest, there are currently no jobs or qualifications in Japan that will not be a problem for your life. Civil servants are said to be stable jobs for the rest of their lives, but recently the turnover rate is high and the number of people who work for the rest of their lives is decreasing.

Due to the recent corona crisis and the evolution of technology, it is unknown how long companies will survive and be able to hire.

Especially in Japan, where professionals tend not to be given good pay conditions, there are many workers, even lawyers and accountants, who cannot earn income unless they are hired by a company.

Why do Japanese people want to find a job they can eat?

Many Japanese people take a stable working style. This may be due to the fact that they lived a stable life by belonging to some village as a farming people rather than a hunting people.

However, It is becoming clear that Japanese people can not have stable jobs or qualifications for the rest of their lives.

Even so, they like to say like

"Is that job or qualification that I can eat（食っていける）?"