Holidays + Unemployment = A Difficult Season on Many Levels
With stats like the ones the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on November 6, 2020, for nonfarm employment rates, the holidays are going to be a difficult, even traumatizing time for a lot of people.
The unemployment rate was 6.9% in October (down 1 percentage point from September), which equals about 11.1 million people without jobs. Of those…
- 3.2 million were on temporary layoff vs. 18.1 million at the height of the pandemic in April.
- 3.7 million permanently lost their jobs.
- 3.6 million were considered long-term unemployed, which means they have been jobless for 27+ weeks this year.
In the four weeks prior to this report, 15.1 million people were unable to work due to lost or closed businesses. Some have since found or will find employment within their industry or use transferrable skills that will keep their bank accounts in the black. Others will have to keep searching and waiting.
Of those still working, 21.2% teleworked from wherever they were sheltering in place or from home.
One or multiple of these employment scenarios are likely to be found within the same household. One partner, parent, or roommate may be gainfully employed (at limited or full-time hours) while the other is forced to stay home because COVID-19 effectively shut down their industry and eliminated the possibility of a paycheck.
This pandemic came out of nowhere and turned the whole world on its ear. People are losing jobs, losing businesses, losing their livelihoods – at no fault of their own. Knowing this, however, will not make it any easier. They will still go through the stages of grief and shame that come with feeling like you let down the people who depend on you.
It is crushing, especially as the holidays approach.
Thanksgiving? Christmas? Hanukkah? No matter the holidays you celebrate as the year comes to a close, if you don’t have a job and feel like you can’t celebrate in the way you always have, it can mess with your head. It can make you feel like the biggest disappointment or a failure for not being able to provide for yourself or your family in the way you always have.
Note: Most of the things running through your head along those lines are not true. So when they pop into your mind, repeat these words from Kelly Clarkson to yourself again and again until it finally sinks in (and it will probably take a while): That is a lie from Satan’s mouth.
You are all trying to figure out how to make ends meet, let alone celebrate the holidays and keep as many family traditions alive as possible. You’re sweating how you will give your family, partner, kids, or friends a holiday experience that won’t be wrought with stress and anxiety – masking your own feelings as you do; and that is mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining. Because, let’s face it…
The holidays + flu season + the uptick of Covid cases + joblessness = Anxietyville population, 11.1 million.
And trust me, friends, I feel you. I know. I did it last year. I’m doing it this year.
I got downsized the week before Thanksgiving 2019. It meant no job and no insurance in the middle of flu season with a new baby, bills to pay, the soul crushing knowledge that on some level I had put us in this position by working there in the first place, and the entire holiday season ahead of me. Then things just kept happening. It felt like one trauma after another hit, and each was worse and more devastating than the last.
I don’t say this to invite you to join a pity party but to make those of you in the thick of this shit storm feel seen and heard. I am right there with you, braving the storm. Trust that as I have worked and powered through this year, I have not for one second forgotten how crushing the loss of a job can be – especially when you never saw it coming.
I have been living by the following notions and repeating them to myself like mantras for the past year or so as I try to remind myself that it will all be okay. Feel free to borrow them to get you through the holidays … or the days ahead that will feel just a little too hard.
- Give yourself some grace. No one could have foreseen these circumstances. It was not your fault, so give yourself a break, work with what you’ve got, and hustle for the rest.
- If I make things happy and fun, she will be happy and have fun.
- Little things go a long way with little people. A Wednesday morning spent making pancakes and vacuuming is my toddler’s favorite way to start the day. Seriously, the kid loves the vacuum.
- Give gifts from the heart rather than the store. What can I do, make, write, bake, or create that will make this person feel just as loved and cared for as they are?
- Get creative. Make a coupon book for free but fun adventures. I gave my husband a coupon for Father’s Day that was good for a weekend fishing/camping trip. My daughter and I did some arts and crafts to make it, so it was a win all around. She had fun. It was tailored to his hobbies, and he gets a guilt-free getaway to do something that brings him peace and joy. He was pumped.
- Think outside of the box. What do I have that someone else may need, and could we sell or trade it? (Thank you, Facebook Marketplace.)
- This is temporary. This too shall pass. This pandemic will end. You will find work again. Things will get better.
And if all else fails… remember this:
Photo Credit: Think Pozitiv
You will survive. You will learn and grow and be stronger for having lived through such a hard thing. You will have busted your butt to make ends meet and to make sure the people in your home are happy and healthy. Best of all, in the midst of chaos, you will have created a positive environment, strong coping mechanisms, and happy memories that will serve you, your family, and your friends in the long run.
So I’ll say it one more time in case you need to hear it again: Give yourself some grace and some time. Things will get better. Until then, know you are not alone. There are at least 11.1 million people in the U.S., plus one (that’s me) who understand your struggle. We’re all right here with you.
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