The impact of job loss on professional and managerial employees and their families

Despite the recent economic boom, layoffs of professional and managerial employees in the United States continue to affect millions of individuals and their family members. This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study of the impact of unemployment on ten displaced professionals and managers and their families. A seven-stage typology describing reactions of the unemployed and their families to long-term unemployment is presented. Impact on the family, differences in reactions to loss of employment based on gender and on age, and information regarding re-employment status of these individuals are discussed. Implications for work-based programs, clinical services, and policy are provided.