US unemployment weakens Americans: Survey

Local Editor, 15-12-2009

A new survey has shown that unemployment in US has had a dreadful effect on the lives of Americans. US has been facing severe challenges as the result of US economic downturn.
The poll conducted by the New York Times and CBS News publicized on Monday, showing joblessness resulted in major life changes and mental health issues.

The US recession was seen as a hardship that had caused basic changes in American lives, according to about half of those surveyed.

Meanwhile, seven in 10 rated their family's financial situation as fairly bad or very bad.

Depression or anxiety was a main symptom with almost half of the respondents and 40 percent of parents noticed behavioural changes in their children that they attribute to unemployment.
Almost half said unemployment had led to more conflicts or disputes with family members and friends, 55 percent have suffered from insomnia.

Besides, a quarter of those polled said they had either lost their home or been threatened with foreclosure or eviction for not paying their mortgage or rent.

About a quarter have received food stamps. More than half said they have cut back on both luxuries and necessities in their spending.

Employers in the U.S. cut the fewest jobs in November since the recession began and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, signalling the recovery is lifting the labour market out of the worst employment slump in the post-World War II era.

The Obama administration, under pressure after almost half of the 7.2 million jobs lost during the recession occurred since the president's inauguration.