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Title: Poll Shows Mounting Toll of Joblessness on Nation
Source:
NY Times
URL Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/us/15poll.html?_r=1
Published: Dec 14, 2009
Author: MICHAEL LUO and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN
Post Date: 2009-12-14 19:00:59 by borntoweardiamonds
Keywords: Joblessness, Poll
Views: 303
Comments: 6
More than half of the nation’s unemployed workers have borrowed money from friends or relatives. An equal number have cut back on doctor’s visits or medical treatments because they are out of work. Almost half have suffered from depression or anxiety. About four in 10 parents have noticed behavioral changes in their children that they blame on their struggles. Joblessness has wreaked both financial and emotional havoc on the lives of many of those out of work, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll of unemployed adults, causing major life changes, mental health issues and struggles to maintain even basic necessities in large numbers. The results of the poll, which surveyed 708 unemployed adults from Dec. 5 to Dec. 10 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points, help to lay bare the depth of the trauma experienced by millions across the country who are out of work as the jobless rate hovers at 10 percent and, in particular, as the ranks of the long-term unemployed soar. Roughly half of the respondents described the recession as a hardship that had caused major life changes. Generally, those who have been out of work longer reported experiencing more acute financial and emotional effects. “I lost my job in March, and from there on everything went downhill,” Vicky Newton, 38, of Mount Pleasant, Mich., a single mother who had been working as a customer service representative in an insurance agency, said in an interview after the poll was conducted. “After struggling and struggling and not being able to pay my house payments or my other bills, I finally sucked up my pride,” she said. “I got food stamps just to help feed my daughter.” Over the summer, she abandoned her home in Flint, Mich., after she started receiving foreclosure notices. She now lives 90 minutes away, in a rental house owned by her father. With unemployment driving foreclosures nationwide, a quarter of those polled said they had either lost their home or been threatened with foreclosure or eviction for not paying mortgage or rent. About a quarter have received food stamps like Ms. Newton. More than half said they had cut back on both luxuries and necessities in their day-to-day spending. Seven in 10 rated their family’s financial situation as fairly bad or very bad. But the impact on their lives was not limited to struggles to pay bills. Almost half said unemployment had led to more conflicts or arguments with family members and friends; 55 percent have suffered from insomnia. “Everything gets touched,” said Colleen Klemm, 51, of North Lake, Wis., who lost her job as a manager at a landscaping company last November. “All your relationships are touched by it. You’re never your normal happy-go-lucky person. Your countenance, your self-esteem goes. You think, ‘I’m not employable.’ ” A quarter of those who experienced anxiety or depression said they had gone to see a mental health professional. Women were significantly more likely than men to acknowledge emotional issues. Tammy Linville, 29, of Louisville, Ky., said she lost her job as a clerical worker for the Census Bureau a year and a half ago. She began seeing a therapist for depression every week through Medicaid but recently has not been able to go because her car broke down and she cannot afford to get it fixed. Her partner works at the Ford plant in the area, but his schedule has been sporadic. They have two small children and at this point, she said, they are “saving quarters for diapers.” “Every time I think about money, I shut down because there is none,” she said. “I get major panic attacks. I just don’t know what we’re going to do.” Nearly half of the adults surveyed admitted to feeling embarrassed or ashamed most of the time or sometimes as a result of being out of work. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the traditional image of men as breadwinners, men were significantly more likely than women to report feeling ashamed most of the time. There was a pervasive sense from the poll that the American dream has been upended for many. Nearly half of those polled said they felt in danger of falling out of their social class, with those out of work six months or longer feeling especially vulnerable. Working-class respondents felt at risk in greater numbers than those belonging to other social classes. Nearly half of respondents said they did not have health insurance, with the vast majority citing their job loss as a reason, a notable finding given the tug-of-war in Congress over health care reform. The poll offered a glimpse of the potential ripple effect of having no coverage. More than half characterized the cost of basic medical care as a hardship. Many in the ranks of the unemployed appear to be rethinking their career and life choices. Just over 40 percent said they had moved or considered moving to another part of the state or country where there were more jobs. More than two-thirds of respondents had seriously entertained the idea of changing their career or field, and 44 percent of those surveyed had pursued job retraining or other educational opportunities. Joe Whitlow, 31, of Nashville, worked as a mechanic until a repair shop he was running with a friend finally petered out in August. He had contemplated going back to school before but the potential loss in income always deterred him. Now he is enrolled at a local community college, planning to study accounting. “When everything went bad, not that I didn’t have a choice, but it made the choice easier,” Mr. Whitlow said. The poll also shed light on both the formal and informal safety nets the jobless have relied upon. More than half said they were receiving or had received unemployment benefits. But 61 percent of those receiving benefits said the amount was not enough to cover basic necessities. Meanwhile, a fifth said they had received food from a nonprofit organization or religious institution. Among those with a working spouse, half said their spouse had taken on additional hours or another job to help make ends meet. In terms of casting blame for the high unemployment rate, 26 percent of unemployed adults cited former President George W. Bush; 12 percent pointed the finger at banks; 8 percent highlighted jobs going overseas and the same number blamed politicians. Only 3 percent blamed President Obama. Those out of work were split, however, on the president’s handling of job creation, with 47 percent expressing approval and 44 percent saying they disapproved.
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#1. To: All (#0)
Consider the source. Having said that, this problem goes back 27 years when Globalism became de riquer. We are now reaping the whirlwind.
Don't you think ... regulation - unions - hating employers - republicans --- has anything to do with it ! I've seen a lot of factories go south because of it !
Oh yes. Once the Fat Cats got the train rolling, the rest had little choice but to follow.
borntowearoutdiamonds
Borntowearrags ...
Boris, there is enough blame to go around. Both sides are complicite in this selling out of our nation.
In terms of casting blame for the high unemployment rate, 26 percent of unemployed adults cited former President George W. Bush; 12 percent pointed the finger at banks; 8 percent highlighted jobs going overseas and the same number blamed politicians. Only 3 percent blamed President Obama.
#2. To: borntoweardiamonds (#1)
#3. To: BorisY (#2)
#4. To: borntoweardiamonds (#3)
Once the Fat Cats got the train rolling
#5. To: All (#4)
#6. To: BorisY (#5)
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