Experiences of white‐collar job loss and job‐searching in the United States

In: Sociology compass, Volume 15, Issue 9

Abstract

AbstractUnemployment is a pervasive and stubborn feature of contemporary social and economic life. This review article focuses on the meaning and experience of contemporary white‐collar unemployment in the United States. After explaining the empirical and theoretical rationales for the focus on white‐collar workers, this review delves into three aspects of white‐collar unemployment: who loses jobs; what unemployment means for one's sense of self, marital relationships, parent‐child relationships; and how the process of job‐searching and re‐employment unfold for unemployed white‐collar workers in the US. Throughout, I take an intersectional approach, identifying how sensitivity to structural location in the labor market and the family can augment our sociological understandings of these important issues. I close by suggesting directions for future research.