The impact when parents loses a job - Essay Example

The Impact of Parents’ Job Loss on Children of the of the Introduction “The loss of parents’ job has a significant impact on children in the form of emotional distress, educational problems, and lack of career opportunities in the future”. In this paper, the impact of parents’ job loss on children will be studied. The main points discussed in this paper include emotional difficulties, lack of self-esteem, educational problems, and others.DiscussionThe Great Recession has hit several individuals and families in the United States and other parts of the world.

The statistics on job loss have shown that the rate of job loss has been increasing during recent times. The rate of joblessness is very high (Ananat, Gassman-Pines, Francis, and Gibson-Davis. 2011). There are many families where only one parents is working. In such families, the impact of job loss is higher. As a result of an increase in the job loss of parents, the rate of poverty among children is increasing. In the year 2011, 11% of children in the United States had one unemployed parent in the family (Strully, 2009).

DiscussionAccording to Rege et al. (2011), the loss of a parent’s job results in the loss of economic security of a family. Social scientists have revealed the devastating effects of parents’ job loss on families. The consequences of job loss are seen in the form of mental health problems, stress, and conflicts in relationships (Eliason and Donald, 2009). The job loss does not only increase marital conflicts, but also conflicts and disagreements among parents and children. This also results in ineffective parenting.

Children, who are raised in such environment, often face neglect from parents. The education of children also suffers in case of job loss of parents (Spera, Buhrfeind, and Pennebaker, 1994).According to Farber (2010), when a parent loses a job, children are likely to be suspended or expelled from schools. When children are in high schools, they are less likely to continue post-secondary education when a parent loses a job (Nomaguchi, 2012). The increasing cost of education and the credit crunch are two significant challenges faced by children.

The loss of a parent’s job also reduces the economic stability of the next generation. When parents endure unemployment, children are more likely to depend on welfare and other support programs. When parents struggle hard to get a job but lose their jobs, children are likely to become disillusioned with protestant work ethic (Gowan, 2012).Top of FormAs suggested by Coelli (2011), when a job is lost, parents suffer from stress. The level of stress faced by parents is also felt by children. An extended period of unemployment may force the family to get burdened by loans; whether from friend or from financial institutions.

When students receive less support and care from their parents, they are likely to engage in risky behaviors such as the use of drugs and unprotected sex (Shea, 2000). ConclusionIn a nut shell, the impact of parents’ job loss on children’s lives cannot be ignored. The research conducted on this topic is limited. It is important to conduct further research in order to determine the economic, social, and emotional impact of job loss. The research conducted on the topic lacks the perceptions of children.

It is important to determine the perceptions of children regarding parents’ job loss. The issue cannot be resolved unless policymakers take a new perspective towards unemployment.ReferencesAnanat, E.O., a. Gassman-Pines, D.V. Francis, and C.M. Gibson-Davis. 2011. “Children Left Behind: The Effects of Statewide Job Loss on Student Achievement.” North (June): 1–44. http://www.nber.org/papers/w17104.Coelli, Michael B. 2011. “Parental job loss and the education enrollment of youth.” Labour Economics 18(1): 25–35.

Eliason, Marcus, and Donald Storrie. 2009. “Job loss is bad for your health - Swedish evidence on cause-specific hospitalization following involuntary job loss.” Social Science and Medicine 68(8): 1396–1406.Farber, Henry S. 2010. “Job Loss and the Decline in Job Security in the United States.” In Labor in the New Economy, eds. Katharine G. Abraham, James. R. Spletzer, and Michael Harper. University of Chicago Press, p. 223 – 262.Gowan, Mary A. 2012. “Employability, well-being and job satisfaction following a job loss.

” Journal of Managerial Psychology 27(8): 780–798.Nomaguchi, K. M. 2012. “Marital Status, Gender, and Home-to-Job Conflict Among Employed Parents.” Journal of Family Issues 33(3): 271–294.Rege, M., K. Telle, and M. Votruba. 2011. “Parental Job Loss and Children’s School Performance.” The Review of Economic Studies 78(4): 1462–1489. http://restud.oxfordjournals.org/lookup/doi/10.1093/restud/rdr002.Shea, John. 2000. “Does parents’ money matter?” Journal of Public Economics 77(2): 155–184.Spera, S. P., E. D.

Buhrfeind, and J. W. Pennebaker. 1994. “EXPRESSIVE WRITING AND COPING WITH JOB LOSS.” Academy of Management Journal 37(3): 722–733.Strully, Kate W. 2009. “Job loss and health in the U.S. labor market.” Demography 46(2): 221–246.