It showed that financial hardship which is as a result of plant closing was the main factor in negative effect on family life, Broman, Hamilton, & Hoffman, (1990). Individuals who experienced loss of jobs were more likely to face financial hardship. It argued that financial hardship was the strongest intervening variable within the relationship between unemployment and family stress and conflict.
As financial hardship level rise, so does tension and conflict level rise between family members. In order for human services to alleviate the negative effects of unemployment they may be required to concentrate on maintenance of the income all through the period of unemployment. This problem of unemployment which results to stress and conflict in the family can also be minimized through ignoring unemployment compensation and concentrating on public works.
However, public works are not enough, since a new super highway within Oklahoma cannot provide work to the unemployed worker of the textile in Laurence; A new reclamation dam within Utah cannot assist unemployed auto worker in Detroit pay his landlord; the same way housing, schools and hospital cannot provide enough assistance to the right people within the right places at the right time. What is needed is the right kind of public works.
This problem can as well be helped through improving unemployment insurance system though depends on the state to take action. Within some states, the maximum benefit a worker is capable of getting is less than one third of the average wage in his state. The person who founded the program had an intention that a worker who is unemployed was suppose to draw a benefit that is equal to at least 50% of their own regular earnings.
Another approach to the solution to inadequacies of unemployment compensation can be recognizing of the need of Federal action, but it can also be modified to Federal payment for...
This has been sought by Detroit planners and they prefer to have 1000 firms employing 100 persons each in their diversification as compared to a single firm employing 100,000 workers. This may help reduce the loss of job by majority in case of closure of the firm.
Conclusion
Employment is important for the breadwinners of a family if the individual is not engaging in personal employment. From this, these people are able to cater for the need of their families. In any case there is loss of job; the financial status has to go down. Since the family still needs to be catered for and the individual is not able to do so, the family has to be negatively affected. It may lead to stress as well as conflicts and the children has to be affected since there are part of the family. The government is supposed to put measures that protect a worker who looses his/her job. Like there should be compensation to make the worker cater for his family as he looks for another job.
Reference
Broman, C.L., Hamilton, V.L., & Hoffman, W.S. (1990). Unemployment and its effects on families: Evidence from a plant closing study. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 643-659. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mfr/4919087.0002.207?rgn=main;view=fulltext
Elder, G.H., Jr., & Caspi, A. (1988). Recent research on the psychological effects of unemployment. Journal of Social Issues, 44(4), 25-45.
Grayson, P.J. (1985). The closure of a factory and its impact on health. International Journal of Health Services, 15, 69-93.
Hakim, C. (1982). The social consequences of high unemployment. Journal of Social Policy, 2, 433-467.
