The Effect of Husband's Unemployment on Marital and Family Relations in Blue-Collar Families

Previous studies of the effect of unemployment on blue-collar male workers and their families have shown a deterioration of worker self-esteem, marital adjustment, and family satisfaction. The majority of these studies were conducted during or shortly after the Great Depression and are limited in their methodological sophistication. This study provides a contemporary look at the effect of unemployment on husband and wife self-esteem, marital adjustment and communication, and satisfaction and harmony in family relations. In addition, the influence of traditional versus equalitarian marital role expectations was examined. Data collected from 41 unemployed couples and 40 employed couples showed that the unemployed did not have significantly lower feelings of self-esteem, but did report significantly lower marital adjustment, poorer marital communication, and lower satisfaction and harmony in family relations. Traditional marital role expectations had a negative effect on these marital and family life varibles. Changes in spreading patterns among the unemployed are discussed and the implications of the findings are explored.