Don’t call your in-between-jobs best friend an asshole the next time he bails on your Tinder double date.
It’s a psychological thing.
According to research published by the American Psychological Association, unemployment has adverse affects on one’s core personality. The five traits impacted most are conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness, extraversion, and openness, suggesting the weight of not having a job extends far beyond economic concerns.
Even more concerning is that being less conscientious, non-agreeable, neorotic, introverted, and closed makes finding new work that much more of a burden.
When the situation becomes endemic, over a period of one or two years, for example, the stark shift in personality contributes to stigmatization in society, further perpetuating the downward spiral.
The solution? Public policy.
Greater support for the unemployed “has a key role to play in preventing adverse personality change,” says Christopher J. Boyce, PhD, of the UK’s University of Stirling. “Policies to reduce unemployment are therefore vital not only to protect the economy but also to enable positive personality growth in individuals.”
So the next time someone you know is down on their luck career-wise, forgo cracking a joke and offer an empowering message of support instead.
You might not be able to pay their rent for them, but you may well just save their personality.
#NOTABLE
Want more updates on the most Notable things happening so you know before your colleagues do? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Twitter for all the latest.
