Long-term unemployed are screwed out of the American Dream and die younger
by Thom Hartmann,posted Apr 3 2012 5:06PM
Not only are the long-term unemployed screwed out of the American Dream – they’re also dying younger.
The New York Times is reporting on a new study showing that the long-term unemployed (those out of work more than six months) are twice as likely to die within a year of unemployment as are those who are employed. Even 20 years after getting back to work – those Americans who experienced long-term unemployment in their younger years still have a 15% greater chance of dying early.
According to the study – a worker who lost their job at age 40 and had to deal with long-term unemployment – will likely lose a year to a year-and-a-half off their life from having missed preventative healthcare and chronic stress. Currently – 40% of America’s unemployed have been out of work for more than six months. And they’ll be dying younger because the social safety net that used to catch them has been cut away after thirty years of Reaganomics, Clintonomics, and Ayn Rand's trickle-down morality.
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Not only are the long-term unemployed screwed out of the American Dream – they’re also dying younger.