Perhaps what is needed is a way for all these 18 million unemployed people to find one another so they can start businesses?

There are many types of business that can start in just a few weeks with nearly no capital.

For example, a 2nd hand mower and a borrowed truck is plenty to start a garden maintenance company. I'm sure plenty of those 18 million people already have those things, yet are instead staying home watching Netflix and hoping for 'better' job offers to arrive...