The Impact of Unemployment on Relationships

The ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) recently published a survey that revealed that one in five of households contain a person who is unemployed. This will not come as a shock to the vast majority of the population. If we included in the survey those on reduced hours or on enforced part time work the figure could well rise even higher.

These figures do not include those families who are waiting for that dreaded ‘request’ to attend an emergency meeting about the future of their work. Many people are now working on short term contracts, working long shifts often at unsocial hours, or as interns for no pay whatsoever. The unremitting intense stress and strain this places on individuals and families in almost incalculable. Many young families and individuals have emigrated, or are thinking of doing so in the hope of a better life elsewhere.

We at Relationships Ireland offer our help and support to clients suffering in the current economic turmoil. Often surveys give us the facts and figures. As we know well in Relationships Ireland there’s always a deeply personal story and consequence attached to the figures given in any survey.

Our psychological and emotional reaction to these economic woes needs to be taken seriously. Lots of us are very angry at the world in general. We also find that we are angry at ourselves and angry at those nearest to us. We can find ourselves powerless and lacking in hope. It doesn’t help when we hear some people accuse us of being scroungers. This often comes from those who have never experienced the deep loss associated with unemployment – they simply ‘don’t get it’.

It hurts when we hear people in the media talking about careers and pensions. Forget about a ‘career’ it’s just a job I want. Most people would say again, they just don’t ‘get it’.

Lots of people now don’t take holidays. They are afraid that their job might be gone when they return. If you think I exaggerate talk to the self employed or contract worker. These desperate times impose intense strain on relationships. Individuals will often withdraw from social events.

We encourage people to come to us to talk this through and share how you feel. We can’t magic away the problem but we can, and do, help people manage the situation and look for solutions. Getting a fresh perspective, a third party if you wish, can often help relieve the load and offer hope.

So let us help you know there is a future, maybe not the one you had imagined, and that your future can be a good one, and maybe we are just what you need right now.