How do you cope when your spouse is unemployed? How does your marriage survive the strain this situation puts upon it? As one author said:

“The loss of a job can put the vow ‘for better or for worse’ to the test. Unemployment rates high on the list, along with death and divorce, as one of life’s top stress-inducing events. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources and guidance for those coping with their own unemployment. But what about the rest of the family? Unemployment impacts spouses and children, too.” (Roberta Rand)

Another author said this about being unemployed:

“Nobody likes to think about being unemployed. But it’s a state that’s more and more common. Whether due to corporate ‘right-sizing,’ termination, or career change, it’s always an uneasy time. What causes the stress? First, the spouse who’s lost his or her job may have suffered a serious blow to the identity. This is especially true for husbands, since most men largely define themselves by their work [although we acknowledge that it’s not true for all]. They also tend to believe that the husband’s earnings are the family’s primary income, whether that belief is stated or not.

“Second, many couples haven’t saved enough money to get them through a prolonged period of unemployment. Running out of money is a real possibility, depending on how long joblessness lasts. So is going into debt with credit cards or losing a house if you default on a mortgage. All this weighs heavily on both partners, especially the one who feels most responsible to ‘win the bread.’” (Sandra Lundberg, from the book, The First Five Years of Marriage)

Coping when your spouse is unemployed can be difficult for any married partners, but it’s especially difficult for those of you who have a spouse who refuses to get a job when their income is critically needed to make ends meet financially. This type of situation works over-time on your mind as to how to cope with their refusal when the needs are so great.

So, how do you make it when one of you loses a job or is unemployed for some reason — whether it’s by choice or not? That’s a question that so many couples struggle with in this uncertain world. It’s one that we’d like to invite you to comment about in the space provided below. Maybe you have encountered this situation and you can write something that might help others in some way.

But before you write, we invite you to read the following article posted on the web site for the ministry of Focus on the Family (which we greatly appreciate). You can also see that they have other related articles posted. After reading what will help you in your situation, arrow back to add your comments below this link if you desire to do so.

To read the article click onto the following link:

When Your Spouse is Unemployed

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