Life’s Even Tougher When Both Spouses Lose Their Jobs
It’s tough for couples to pay their mortgage bills when one spouse loses a job. But when both spouses are out of work at the same time? It becomes a challenge to pay even the smallest utility bill.
Unfortunately, this situation isn’t rare. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both husband and wife were jobless at the same time in 124,000 families last year. That’s up from the 87,000 families who faced the same challenge in 2006.
The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an interesting story about this, focusing on the Heup family in Slinger, Wis. Julie Heup, a structural engineer, and Mark Heup, a supply chain manager, were both laid off from their jobs within a three-month period.
This situation comes with obvious disadvantages, most of them financial. But you might be surprised to know that there are some positives when both spouses are looking for work at the same time. The Heups have discovered this.
The Wall Street Journal story points out that unemployed spouses can actually work together to help each other find work.
Couples featured in the story, including the Heups, are critiquing each other’s resumes and holding mock interviews with each other, all to brush up on their job hunting skills.
Other couples featured in the Wall Street Journal story are scheduling regular date nights with each other during which they are not allowed to talk about their job searches. This is important: When both spouses are searching for jobs at the same time, it’s easy for couples to talk only about their frustrations. Everyone needs a break from that.
With unemployment continuing to rise, we’ll see even more spouses who are both out of work at the same time. It’s important, then, for spouses in this situation to work together. This is the time when spouses need to lean on each other for support.
Article by Dan R. and courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.
