Interviews with more than a dozen people who were out of work at least a half-year during the recession and have now landed jobs found many adjusting to new realities. Some of the changes are self-imposed; others forced upon them. They include grappling with newfound insecurities and scaled-back budgets; reshaped priorities and broken relationships. In some ways, it is equivalent to the lingering symptoms of post-traumatic stress.This is an interesting article because it shows that the effects of unelmplyment can remain even after one is employed again.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Yesterday it was announced that the unemployment rate in January had fallen to 9.7%. Yet, according to a New York Times article, life doesn't automatically get better once a person finds a job. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/us/06return.html?hp)
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This is interesting and makes total sense. As much as one would be relieved to have employment once again, they may spend a great deal of time second-guessing their work, almost paranoid that they are going to do something wrong and get let go again. They don't want to bee the weakest link and give any reason for being fired. This could cause extreme anxiety in the workplace which would most likely transfer to the home-life as well. Also, having to deal with a lower salary would be hard for people. This could cause stress as well. I think that it is hard to be employed again. It's a new schedule and almost finding one's self again: skills, work effort, etc.
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This really doesn't surprise me at all either. I think this especially applies to those people who were in a job for 15, 20, or 25+ years and then got laid off during the recession. They were probably so used to having a stable and long term job, that it was a complete shock and new experience for them when they lost it. I'm sure things would feel very different for someone who has been working at the same place for a long period of time and then suddenly have to find a new way to make money. I feel the main effects it would have would be those of insecurity. I'm sure people are now nervous about how stable their new jobs are, that is if they can even find one. A
ReplyDeleteI never thought about the period of adjustment after finally getting a job. It worries me because my parents have not worked for the past few years, and it would be horrible if more stress is loaded onto them after they find a suitable job.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the idea of finding a job/career freaks me out. I am going to college to qualify for a job that will support me and that will coincide with my passions. If that's not a feasible dream, then what am I doing here? E
It seems economics and jobs overall can have major stresses on people. I can see a lot of stress on people that are trying to support a family and have to make budget cuts because of unemployment. It may seem funny, but the world of economics can be a scary and unforgiving place sometimes. (A)
ReplyDeleteI think any adjustment is going to be a bit hard at first, and that's natural. We're all going to at least a little reshuffling while coming out of tricky times.
ReplyDeletei see how you still deal with the effects of losing your first job adn think u need to make sure everything the second time around is perfect. Also an idea to still being affected by unemployment could be that the new job does not make as much as your last job so you still have to cut spending in you life to adjust to the new one you are living in.
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever thought about the adjustments that a person has to go through when they are finally able to get back into the workplace. You would think that just because a person was able to get a job then everything would be better, but life, obviously, just doesn't work that way. I'm really glad this topic was brought up, as sad as it may be, it is good to remember that just because someone has a job doesn't mean that life is automatically great.
ReplyDeleteI guess I thought that everyone who lost jobs would automatically see a positive increase in their personal life. I never really thought that such drama could be followed with the finding of a job, especially during our economic circumstances. I understand however, that people who may have been struggling heavily because of unemployment, may be nervous or paranoid of a similar event occuring in their lives. Our nation's economic hardships are really taking a toll on the lives of many people.
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