People in the US left unemployed by the financial crisis are struggling to cope with the mental stress caused by being jobless in a stagnant economy, US researchers have said.
Researchers at the John J Heldrich Centre for Workforce Development at Rutgers University said that the financial strain that comes with being out of work combined with the task of seeking a new job in a hostile environment had left many US citizens "traumatised."
Cliff Zukin, a Rutgers professor and co-author of the study, said: "Psychologically, it's a world of hurt out there for the jobless."
Mr Zukin said that "significant numbers" of respondents had had trouble sleeping since losing their jobs, had strained relations with family members and increased alcohol and drug dependency.
Many respondents also said that they avoided social situations.
The report was based on a survey of 1,200 US citizens who had been unemployed and looking for a job for the past 12 months.
Two-thirds reported being depressed.
More than half said that they had borrowed money from friends or relatives, while one-quarter said that they had had to skip mortgage or rent payments.
Just 40 per cent of the unemployed received unemployment insurance and 83 per cent of those who did receive aid said that they were concerned that the benefits would run out before they found a job.
Half reported that they didn't have health insurance.
The survey found that 60 per cent of respondents had lost their jobs without warning, while just 15 per cent had got some type of severance and almost none had been offered retraining.
Morning Star - 03.09.09
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