The problem is that we haven't come up with a way to properly pay people in a system where productivity has increased past the point that "full employment" - in the traditional sense - is no longer needed, or possible.
If companies had to maximize employment they would need to automate fewer things, which would lower productivity and result in less wealth being produced. The entire society would end up being poorer.
This happened in the Communist bloc within living memory and we don't need to make the same mistake again. It's not a coincidence that the countries with the best quality of life are the ones that allow corporations to pursue wealth creation over other goals and then redistribute the wealth through taxation and social benefits. If you want to redistribute wealth it's good to actually have some wealth.