Who is Alf Smith and Bert Jones from The Road to Wigan Pier and what is their importance?

The two men indicated are offered by Orwell as examples of the debilitating effects of prolonged unemployment. Although given names, the men are certainly caricatures intended to illustrate the point. Alf becomes unemployed before Bert, and as Alf watches Bert depart for work every day, Alf feels that he is personally responsible for being unable to find work and begins down a spiral of self-loathing. As his self-worth drains away, Alf is unaware that in the meantime Bert has also become unemployed. Bert then starts the cycle over again. Eventually both men become used to idling away year after year, and lose their shame of being on the dole. At that point, unemployment is nothing atypical or even exceptional.