Unemployment in the family
Abstract
Emotional distress arising from job loss affects both the job loser and other family members. This article examines longitudinal data on unemployment and assesses its impact on automobile workers and their families. The financial hardship produced through unemployment was found to directly affect family relationships.
Key words: unemployment, families, job loss, auto industry, financial hardship
Funds for the research were provided by the Michigan Health Care Research and Education Foundation and by the International Union-UAW. We are especially grateful to the men and women of the UAW, whose experiences and views form this investigation.return to text
Clifford L. Broman, Ph.D., is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824-1111.return to text
V. Lee Hamilton, Ph.D., is Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742.return to text
William S. Hoffman, Ph.D., is Director (retired), Michigan Health and Social Security Research Institute, International Union - United Auto Workers, Detroit, Michigan, 48214.return to text
From 1979 to 1984, more than 11.5 million workers lost their jobs because of plant closings in the nation's industries. Manufacturing industries provide 20% of the nation's employment and have experienced tremendous cutbacks and closings (Bluestone & Harrison, 1982; Perrucci, Perrucci, Targ, & Targ, 1988). Various causes for plant closing have been identified, including poor corporate planning, ill-founded federal policy, capital flight, decreasing profit rates, and the pursuit of lower labor costs. The automotive industry continues to be severely affected by shutdowns. Although the corporate terminology may change—plant closings are sometimes called "plant idling"—the effects on workers and their families are similar and severe.
Almost 40% of all the U.S. auto employment has been located in Michigan. As a result of the
Emotional distress arising from job loss affects both the job loser and other family members. This article examines longitudinal data on unemployment and assesses its impact on automobile workers and their families. The financial hardship produced through unemployment was found to directly affect family relationships.
Key words: unemployment, families, job loss, auto industry, financial hardship
Funds for the research were provided by the Michigan Health Care Research and Education Foundation and by the International Union-UAW. We are especially grateful to the men and women of the UAW, whose experiences and views form this investigation.return to text
Clifford L. Broman, Ph.D., is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824-1111.return to text
V. Lee Hamilton, Ph.D., is Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742.return to text
William S. Hoffman, Ph.D., is Director (retired), Michigan Health and Social Security Research Institute, International Union - United Auto Workers, Detroit, Michigan, 48214.return to text
From 1979 to 1984, more than 11.5 million workers lost their jobs because of plant closings in the nation's industries. Manufacturing industries provide 20% of the nation's employment and have experienced tremendous cutbacks and closings (Bluestone & Harrison, 1982; Perrucci, Perrucci, Targ, & Targ, 1988). Various causes for plant closing have been identified, including poor corporate planning, ill-founded federal policy, capital flight, decreasing profit rates, and the pursuit of lower labor costs. The automotive industry continues to be severely affected by shutdowns. Although the corporate terminology may change—plant closings are sometimes called "plant idling"—the effects on workers and their families are similar and severe.
Almost 40% of all the U.S. auto employment has been located in Michigan. As a result of the