Washington, December 15: Joblessness has wreaked financial and emotional havoc on the lives of Americans, a new poll shows.
Unemployment resulting from the severe US economic downturn has had an abysmal effect on the lives of the American people, according to a new survey.
The poll conducted by the New York Times and CBS News released on Monday, showing joblessness caused major life changes and mental health issues.
The US recession was regarded as a hardship that had caused fundamental changes in American lives, according to about half of those surveyed.
Meanwhile, seven in 10 rated their family’s financial situation as fairly bad or very bad.
Depression or anxiety was a main symptom with almost half of the respondents and 40 percent of parents noticed behavioral changes in their children that they attribute to their difficulties in finding work.
Almost half said unemployment had led to more conflicts or arguments with family members and friends, 55 percent have suffered from insomnia.
With unemployment driving foreclosures nationwide, a quarter of those polled said they had either lost their home or been threatened with foreclosure or eviction for not paying their mortgage or rent.
About a quarter have received food stamps. More than half said they have cut back on both luxuries and necessities in their spending.
Millions of people across the US are presently out of work as the jobless rate hovers at 10 percent and as the ranks of the long-term unemployed rise.
The poll surveyed 708 unemployed adults from Dec. 5 to Dec. 10.