The longer the period of unemployment also had a positive correlation with low levels of conscientiousness for men — a trait that typically comes from enjoying one’s income. With no income, the subject’s desire to work to the best of their ability dwindled. By comparison, jobless women were much more conscientious at the initial and latter stages of their unemployment, but did show signs of a lapse during the middle part. The researchers attributed this characteristic to be the result of women pursuing other activities to occupy their time with, an attempt to still feel productive throughout their unemployment, as well as being more likely to partake in caregiving activities.
A similar relationship was shown with openness. Levels remained the same for men during the first year and then steadily declined for however long they remained jobless. Openness levels for unemployed women dropped throughout the second and third years, but after that, they went back to normal levels, which were reported in the 2009 assessments.
Boyce published his study in the Journal of Applied Psychology. He said that his team’s findings are a demonstration of why people as a society so often stigmatize unemployed individuals, a major reason is due to these unfavorable changes. The result is often a rather vicious cycle. Someone who shows lower degrees of openness and conscientiousness probably makes a less attractive candidate for prospective employers, and so the job problems go beyond explaining that employment gap on your resume.
Frequently updating your resume may be something to work on during the long days you wait for that phone call, but rejection too takes its toll psychologically and you may find the task harder and harder to complete. Beyond Boyce’s work, a recent Gallup Poll shows that in many cases depression steeps in — as the unemployed individual no longer finds joy or takes pride in the same activities they used to do routinely.
The results showed that Americans who are unemployed are more than twice as likely to seek out treatment for depression as people who work full time, with the likelihood increasing the longer the period of unemployment lasts. The poll asked respondents how likely their chances were of finding a job in the near future. The likelihood of finding work tends to decrease the longer one is unemployed, something that reflected in the answers provided. When polled after the first two weeks of unemployment, respondents put their chances of not having a job in the next month at 30.1 percent. By week 27 of unemployment, they placed their chances at 50 percent. After a year, they thought their likelihood of staying unemployed would be 71.3 percent.
Even when these chronically unemployed people re-enter the workforce, they may have a considerably more difficult time keeping a job, compared to those who were only unemployed for short amounts of time or have always managed to hold a steady job — a trend which can sometimes boil down to class differences.
“Public policy therefore has a key role to play in preventing adverse personality change in society through both lower unemployment rates and offering greater support for the unemployed,” says Boyce. “Policies to reduce unemployment are therefore vital not only to protect the economy but also to enable positive personality growth in individuals.” While labor seems to be the first place to look for a solution, researchers, and politicians may have much loftier tasks ahead of them. As we enter the future, a number of jobs are already being replaced by automation, with as many as 5 million jobs across the globe becoming obsolete by the year 2020.
Not a lot seems optimistic at the moment, so what can you do if this story sounds all too familiar? If you find yourself in this situation, perhaps maintaining a routine is the best thing you can do. Give yourself a specific time each day to look for work, but try not to let it take over your day. While watching TV or depending on other outlets for relaxing might seem inevitable, limit how much time you spend on them, before you find them consuming your days. Also allow plenty of time for exercise, as regular doses of physical exercise can actually help the brain retain information better while staving off depression — it will keep you sharp and focused during your job hunt.
Most importantly, remember that the brain is a highly resilient muscle, capable of regularly picking up new skills, forming new pathways, and constantly improving — and spells of unemployment are only temporary. Rather than thinking of it as an ending, consider this time as the opportunity to pursue what you’ve always been passionate about.
This article was first published in the Brain World Magazine’s Fall 2016 issue.
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