That's one way to look at it. You could also see it as 45% of your workforce has now a much greater difficulty finding a normal job because of this now visible gang affiliation. Those 45% have less options to make a traditional living which increases their reliance on the Yakuza.

That was actually the original point: the pinky is extremely necessary in swordfighting and by cutting it off you made yourself more dependent on the clan. It's a show of commitment.

Thats the point.

From the article:

"The practice dates back to the 1700s, when gamblers known as bakuto would accept a person’s severed finger in order to settle a gambling debt. The little finger on the left hand was chosen as its removal hampers a person’s grip on their sword (katana), weakening them as an opponent."