The longer you are unemployed, the more difficult it is for you to get employed. That’s it. This was known earlier but is underscored once again as there seems to be no big turn around in the US employment scene. An article in the New York Times speaks of many who are being pushed into the category of ‘long term” unemployed, for six months or more, due to the passage of time.
Several important factors play a part in this phenomenon. They include the fact that many of them were not the best of performers and were the first to get axed when recession first set in. Secondly, their experience of having to wait it out with an uncertain future has brought about disillusionment. This in turn makes many of them less confident than they were earlier to face a hard to come by job interview.
I was especially interested in the psychological effects of long term unemployment. I am sure they lead to :-
- A perceived lack of self-worth
- A feeling of helplessness
- Remorse for opportunities missed in the past
- A sense of guilt for watching others at work
These also take a toll on one’s physical and psychological well being. I guess people react differently to their circumstances but some factors are core to all of us.
May you never have to go through such an ordeal.
People at Work & Play 