Party Guest

There is something about telling people you are unemployed that annoys me more than being asked "How is your job search going?" on an all-too-regular basis. It really angers me to my very core.

I was asked by someone I barely know at my friend's birthday party last night what I did for a living. I told him I was unemployed and he, instead of branding me as a victim of the recession or a lazy benefit claimer, said, "Ah, I wish I was unemployed."

REALLY?! Do you REALLY? Do you have any idea how depressing, demoralising and boring it is to be unemployed? How embarassing it is to have to admit that you do nothing for a living when asked? Fine, if you think it's so great then let me have your job and you can go on the dole, then we'll see what you think about it.

Barely containing a full-blown rant I managed, I think, to explain how hard it is at the moment to find work and I found it incredible that this person appeared to have absolutely no idea of the situation. It's got me wondering how many other people have little or no concept of the difficulties faced by those who are desperately trying to find work.

It's a frightening thought, but I suppose it's true of many things. People who don't read newspapers or watch the news or know someone directly affected won't realise the full implications of something like unemployment.