The importance of being employed
Having recently joined the ranks of the unemployed, I can tell you that little else in our society is more demoralizing. The U.S., and certainly other Western countries whose power and clout is directly tied to their work force is a hostile place for people who lose their job, need a job, can’t find a job, or are unable to hold a job. In the strictest terms, we judge a person’s worth by their ability to participate in the economy–and when I say “we”, I mean “me” too. My parents pounded such a solid Midwestern work ethic into me and all my siblings that my brother and I each started our first jobs in early adolescence. When I hear someone in their twenties say they don’t have a job or have little or no employment history, I immediately think something’s wrong with them or assume that they are still supported by their family–which also makes me think something must be wrong with them.