Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Personal Cost of Being Unemployed

Along with the financial difficulties joblessness can create, many Americans who lost their jobs during the recession also experienced more personal problems. Roughly four-in-ten adults (42%) who are currently unemployed or who were unemployed sometime during the recession say that family relations were strained during their time out of work. Another 40% say while they were unemployed they lost contact with close friends. These financial and relationship strains took a tangible toll on half of the unemployed;48% say they had difficulty sleeping while without a job. About one-in-five sought professional help for depression, and 5% admit to having problems with alcohol or drugs during unemployment. Read More