Supporting Your Unemployed Spouse

It can be nerve-wracking to support your spouse when they are suddenly out of work. Going from a two-income household to a one-income household can and does cause stress and tension. In addition to lowering their self-esteem, the lack of that second income nearly always causes financial struggles.

Supporting a spouse who has lost his or her job is never easy. However, there are ways that you can help them through this tough time.

Become Your Spouse’s Networking Partner

The quickest way to find a new job is to get out in the world and network. This is something you can help your spouse with. Aside from taking some of the pressure off of them, you will also be helping to speed up the process of finding them a new job.

One way you can help is to chat up your spouse to your co-workers. Encourage your co-workers to tell their spouses too. You can also do your part by letting friends, neighbors and other people in your life know that your spouse is looking for work. Word of mouth is often the best way to land a new job you may never have found out about otherwise.

Offer Emotional Support

Unemployment can be a roller coaster of emotions for most people. The biggest thing you can do is offer your spouse emotional support throughout the ordeal. When your spouse can’t make any financial contributions to the household it can make them feel worthless.

You need to combat those feelings of worthlessness. It is important to be sensitive to their feelings during this time. The best way to help them is to encourage and support them while they look for another job.

Becoming employed again can take longer than most people would like. It is crucial to understand that the process can be time-consuming. Pressuring your spouse into finding a new job will only make the situation worse. The last thing you want to do is cause them to take a job that will only lead to dissatisfaction. The more you encourage your spouse to find the right job, the better it is both of you. Patience and understanding go a long way at a time like this.

Lighten Their Burden

You can lighten the burden on your spouse by completing some tasks that will help them. This can include making improvements to their resume. No one knows what your partner excels at better than you do. Talk up their strengths in their resume, so that they can find a suitable job.

Another way to help is to keep an eye out for job listings. By pointing your spouse in the right direction, you are taking some of the pressure off of them to find something. The more help and support your spouse gets from you, the less likely they are to feel bad about themselves.

By helping your spouse through the process of finding a new job, you are showing them that you care about their success and their happiness. When the unemployed spouse has support from their partner it can make the situation more bearable for both of you. By showing your spouse that you believe in him or her you will be giving them the confidence they need in order to find a new job that is suitable.