The Problems of the Unemployed

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The unemployed are such a well known poverty group that many people picture unemployment and poverty as being the same. It is important to realize that this is false. Not all who are unemployed are impoverished, and not everyone living in poverty is unemployed. It is true however, that the unemployed form a large poverty group with a diverse and challenging set of problems facing them. In exploring some of these problems, much more can be learned about the plight of the unemployed living in poverty. Material and Financial Hardships The unemployed obviously suffer from material and financial hardships as much as any other poverty group. Those who have been unemployed for a long time have an especially difficult time, as they are often unable to pay for their basic needs. Some are better off, and have managed to accumulate some savings, but that money often goes quickly, leaving people without cash to buy things with. This financial hardship is especially devastating because it does not come from a mismanagement of money or a poor decision, but from simple lack of income. These hardships also fall upon people who have jobs, but are underemployed, and do not make enough money to support themselves. With such a lack of funds, sacrifices have to be made, and many people with insufficient incomes live lives without basic luxuries that the average person takes for granted. Nice clothes, comfortable furniture, and a room to oneself are all things that are out of the question for people who need all of their earnings simply to keep themselves fed and to keep a roof over their heads. Marginalization and Exclusion The unemployed are a group often slighted for being lazy or incompetent. In reality, these are not the c... ... middle of paper ... ... about. Works Cited "Latest release from the Labour Force Survey."Statistics Canada. 06 11 2009. Statistics Canada, Web. 24 Nov 2009. . "Unemployment." Wikipedia. 19 11 2009. Wikipedia, Web. 24 Nov 2009. . Shapiro, Carl, and Joseph E. Stiglitz. "Equilibrium Unemployment as a Worker Discipline Device."American Economic Review 74.3 (1984): 433-44. Web. 24 Nov 2009. . "Canadian Unemployment Rate At 8.4%." HRM Guide. 09 10 2009. HRM Guide, Web. 24 Nov 2009. . "Canada Unemployment Rate." Trading Economics. 06 11 2009. Trading Economics, Web. 24 Nov 2009. .

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